June 2000 Back to Volume 13 Issue 6 Article 7 of 11 Carbon nanotubes roll on The remarkable properties of carbon nanotubes may allow them to play a crucial role in the relentless drive towards miniaturization at the nanometre scale Nanotechnology is predicted to spark a series of industrial revolutions in the next two decades that will transform our lives to a far greater extent than silicon microelectronics did in the 20th century. Carbon nanotubes could play a pivotal role in this upcoming revolution if their remarkable electrical and mechanical properties can be exploited. Since the first measurements were made in 1997, these rolled up sheets of graphite have captured the imagination of researchers around the world.
Nanotubes have an impressive list of attributes.
Several decades from now we may see integrated circuits with components and wires made from nanotubes, and maybe even buildings that can snap back into shape after an earthquake. Nanotubes as test tubes Carbon nanotubes were first observed in 1991 by Sumio Iijima at NEC in Japan. These so-called multiwall nanotubes consisted of several concentric tubes of carbon nested inside each other. Paul McEuen describes how the remarkable electrical properties of single-wall nanotubes stem from the unusual electronic structure of graphite. A nanotube can be either a metal or a semiconductor depending on the way the graphite sheet is rolled up.