What are carbon nanotubes?

Carbon nanotubes are cylindrical structures made of carbon atoms that are arranged in a hexagonal pattern. Their unique structure gives them remarkable properties, including high tensile strength, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity. These tubes can be thought of as rolled-up sheets of graphene, which is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional lattice.

The cylindrical shape is significant because it allows carbon nanotubes to effectively conduct electricity along their length and provides high strength-to-weight ratios, making them suitable for a variety of applications in materials science, electronics, and nanotechnology. Their length can be many times greater than their diameter, leading to the term "nanotube." This structural characteristic is what distinguishes them from spherical structures, flat sheets, or simple chains of carbon atoms, which lack the same combination of mechanical and electrical properties.