James McCreary of Rice University asks what material is so diverse that it has applications in everything from improving human lives to protecting the earth? Few materials are capable of both treating prolific diseases like diabetes and creating batteries that last orders of magnitude longer than industry standards. None are as thin, lightweight, and inexpensive as carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes are molecular cylinders made entirely of carbon atoms, which form a hollow tube just a few nanometers thick. For perspective, a nanometer is one ten-thousandth the width of a human hair.
The first multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs) were discovered by Radushkevich and Lukyanovich in Russia in 1951. Endo first discovered single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) in 1976, although the discovery is commonly attributed to Sumio lijima at NEC of Japan in 1991. Since their discovery, carbon nanotubes have been the subject of extensive research by universities (e.g. at Rice University, etc) and national labs for the variety of applications in which they can be used. Carbon nanotubes have proven to exhibit properties that surpass those of existing alternatives such as platinum, stainless steel, and lithium-ion cathodes. Because of their unique structure, carbon nanotubes are revolutionizing the fields of energy, healthcare, communications, and the environment. For more about the use of carbon in the form of coal and Rice University research, see: http://i2mconsultants.com/downloads/corp/campbelljustnotforburning-july19-2014col.pdf
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