Non-metal conductors

"For electric conductivity, you need electrons to move through a material," says Wally Cordes, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Arkansas. Cordes and his colleagues are creating non-metal materials that conduct electricity. They bombard molecules containing nitrogen-sulfur free radicals with X-rays in a process called x-ray crystallography. The nitrogen sulfur free radicals have an unpaired electron that provides the electrical conductivity. Electrons move from one molecule to the next, but the material remains stable. Cordes is conducting ongoing research for determining the optimum structure for electric conductivity. Contact Cordes at [email protected] or call (501) 575-5270.