1Originally published on January 18, 2024pbinstitutionalresearch@pitchbook.comEMERGING SPACE BRIEFCarbon NanotubesAli Javaheri Analyst, Emerging Technologyali.javaheri@pitchbook.com1: “Carbon Nanotube,” ScienceDirect, Waqar Ahmed, et al., n.d., accessed January 10, 2024. 2: “A Brief Introduction of Carbon Nanotubes: History, Synthesis, and Properties,” IOP Publishing, Junqi Chen, et al., 2021. 3: “Sumio Iijima,” International Balzan Prize Foundation, n.d., accessed January 10, 2024.Trending companiesOverviewCarbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanoscale sheets of graphene rolled into a cylindrical tube. CNTs have special features and abilities, some of which are similar to graphite while others come from their tube-like, one-dimensional shape. Depending on their specific structure, CNTs can behave like metals or semiconductors, which are key in electronic devices. Metallic CNTs, in particular, can conduct electricity over 1000x better than common metals, such as copper. They have a unique way of conducting electricity that makes them extremely efficient and mobile, surpassing many standard semiconductors.CNTs are much stronger than steel, and they conduct heat better than diamond. They also have a very high surface area relative to their size, which makes them quite light and strong. CNTs are also highly stable and can resist most chemical reactions, unless they are exposed to high heat and oxygen. These properties make CNTs excellent for a wide range of applications, including various electronic components, sensors, batteries, and materials for protecting against electricity.1BackgroundThe history of CNTs is a tapestry of discovery and debate. The material’s origins can be traced back to 1952 when Soviet scientists L.V. Radushkev...
