You have probably never heard of them. And in all likelihood, you will never see one since they can be viewed only under an electron microscope. Their diminutive size belies another fact, however. Nanotubes are stronger than steel.
Nanotubes differ only in that they are strands rather than spheres.
These molecular structures captivate scientists in other ways as well. Although they are made of carbon, they can conduct electricity. And because they are hollow, their shells may someday be used as storage devices for a variety of purposes. It is this eclectic collection of properties and possibilities which intrigues four UK scientists exploring various aspects of nanotubes and nanotechnology, the study of functional structures at the atomic level. Producing Nanotubes Sumio Iijima of NEC Corporation first discovered nanotubes in 1991, and since that time one of the most daunting challenges facing researchers has been to obtain sufficient quantities of the molecular structures.