Column: General Topics

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes, CNTs, have probably been made in small amounts since the first fires reduced trees and organic material to ashes. It was not until recently, as part of the so-called nano revolution, that we first recognized the existence of these nanotubes. Sumio Iijima, NEC Fundamental Research Laboratory in Japan, first observed carbon nanotubes as by-products of the arc-discharge synthesis of fullerenes. Although there are many different nanotubes, we will focus on only carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes are carbon allotropes that have attracted much attention. Some have suggested that carbon nanotubes will be one of the most important twenty-first century materials because of the exceptional properties and ready abundance of the feedstock, carbon.