What is Nanoscience/Nanotechnology?
Nanoscience is defined as ‘the study of phenomena and manipulation of materials’ at the nanoscale – research which will fuel technology advances in the future. Nanotechnology is the design, characterisation, production and application of structures, devices and systems at the nanometre scale. Q: What is a carbon nanotube? A: A carbon nanotube is an allotrope of carbon. Graphite is another carbon allotrope. A carbon nanotube is a sheet of graphite, one atom thick, rolled into a cylinder with a diameter over 10,000 times smaller than a human hair. Q: What can carbon nanotubes be used for? A: There are thousands of possibilities. Electrically, they could be incorporated into circuits and devices to produce ultra-fast, ultra-small computers or used in display devices. Their mechanical properties along the tube axis are 10,000 times stronger than steel but only 1/6th its weight. These properties make them an ideal material to produce more lightweight, fuel efficient aeroplanes and cars. The