Carbon nanotubes are new materials that hold great promise for
industrial applications. A large number of laboratories are
currently involved in finding new uses for these materials. An
important application would involve spinning into strong fibers to
be used as electrical conductors.
Does
it describe a new discovery or a new methodology that's useful to
others?
The article describes a convenient method to functionalize
carbon nanotubes. This is a critical step if these materials are
to achieve commercial status.
Could
you summarize the significance of your paper in layman's terms?
Carbon nanotubes are a pure form of carbon. Numerous industrial
applications will likely emerge from research that will be carried
out with these new materials. This article describes a first step
in the commercialization of carbon nanotubes.
How
did you become involved in this research?
Fullerenes were discovered at Rice University. Carbon
nanotubes, although discovered in Japan, are a special type of
fullerene. Thus our involvement was a logical extension of our
earlier work with fullerenes.
