Carbon nanotubes are cylindrical carbon molecules with novel properties that make them potentially useful in a wide variety of applications. They exhibit extraordinary strength and unique electrical properties, and are efficient conductors of heat. Their name is derived from their size, since the diameter of a nanotube is on the order of a few nanometers (approximately 50,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair), while they can be up to several micrometers in length. Photo credit: Michael Ströck |