In the information age, smaller is synonymous with better. This is not only true with CD players and computers but often true in the scientific realm as research moves to the atomic scale and scientists focus on understanding how individual atoms or small groups of atoms react in various situations.
Nanotubes are stronger than steel.
It is this strength and the possibilities it presents which intrigue scientists such as Susan Sinnott, an assistant professor in materials-science engineering. Sinnott is an expert in the field of nanotechnology, the study of functional structures at the atomic level. The new field is the result of rapid advances in areas such as surface microscopy, silicon fabrication, biochemistry, physical chemistry, and computational engineering, which collectively make it possible to build structures at the atomic level. Sinnott is particularly intrigued by the nanotube, not only for its strength but for its composition, its structure, and its unusual ability to conduct electricity although it is made of carbon. By using nanotubes as atomic building blocks, it may be possible to create new composite materials that are tough and resist corrosion.