What are nanotubes?

Wonder particles: From the time nanotubes were discovered in the early 1990s, they have been billed as wonder particles for their incredible strength, low weight, and ability to conduct heat and electricity.

Rolled graphite: Carbon nanotubes basically are minuscule, rolled pipes of graphite. They can be as narrow as one nanometer, or one billionth of a meter. (For comparison, a human hair is more than 80,000 nanometers across.)

Uses: Because their structure endows them with powerful physical properties, such as strength greater than that of steel, carbon nanotubes are being explored for a wide range of uses in electronics and medicine. Some potential applications involve coating the nanotubes in other substances, which could blunt any toxic effects.

For example, Stanford University researchers have explored using nanotubes as the mechanism for delivering cancer-killing smart bombs to tumors.

Other products: Nanotubes are also starting to be used in some products, including bicycle components, computer displays and car bumpers. Researchers envision them becoming common in medical devices, solar panels and hydrogen fuel cells.