TWI Frequently asked questions
by Sam Rostami
A carbon nanotube is a graphene sheet rolled up seamlessly into a cylinder. The ends of the cylinders are usually hemispherically capped.
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can either be single-wall (made up of one rolled up graphene sheet) or multi-wall (made up of two or more concentric tubes).
Their diameter could vary from 1-2nm for single-wall CNTs to 50nm for multi-wall CNTs. With their length extending from a few nm to as long as a few mm.
Carbon nanotubes were accidentally discovered by a Japanese electron microscopist, Sumio Iijima, when he was analysing materials deposited on the cathode during an arc-evaporation synthesis. Many researchers have since shown thatcarbon nanotubes can be produced in larger quantities.
Further information
What are the basic physical properties of carbon nanotubes?
What are the applications of carbon nanotubes?
