How Were Nanotubes Discovered?

Perhaps one would not think that the study of how were nanotubes discovered would be a problematic issue. On the surface, answering the question seems to deal primarily with sorting through facts, science, and history. However, the story of the discovery of nanotubes actually brings some rather controversial issues to light. Some consider the study of nanotubes to have been a rather lengthy process, where various individuals have contributed to the discovery. Yet others feel that only the person who brought the discovery of nanotubes into the forefront of the public eye, at least in the sciences, should be credited with the discovery.

The first credited discovery of nanotubes occured in 1952, when L.V. Radushkevich and V.M. Lukyanovich published photographs of 50 nanotubes along with their research in an issue of the Sovet Union's Journal of Physical Chemistry. However, the article was not very widely read, since it was written in Russian. Furthermore, Russia was the Soviet Union at the time, and access to their written materials by other countries was limited.

Twenty seven years later in 1979, a presentation was given at Pennslyvania State University by John Abrahamson on the evidence for carbon nanotubes. His speech and research were primarily planting the seeds for further nanotube investigation. In 1981, Soviet scientists published their findings about the structure of nanotubes. They posited that nanotubes could be structured in either a cylinder or spherical manners. Clearly, they were correct.

The next appearance of the nanotube discovery process was in 1987, when the United States granted Howard G. Tennett a patent for the production of a nanotube-like structure. It was not until 1991 though, that the discovery of nanotubes became a major hit on the science scene.

Sumio Iijima, a Japanese physicist, is generally credited with the discovery of nanotubes. His paper on the subject, published in 1991, incited intense interest in and research of nanotubes in the field of nanotechnology. In 2002, he was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics for his discovery. In 2008, he was awarded, along with Louis Brus, the Kavli Prize for Nanoscience.

What Is A Nanotube?

Presumably, if one is searching for a history of the nanotube, the definition of nanotube is already known by that individual. However, just to refresh the idea, let's look at a fairly basic definition of what a nanotube is. Nanontubes are comprised of carbon, and are cylindrical in shape. In fact, they actually quite accurately resemble honey combs. They are generally used in the fields of nanotechnology, architecture, electronics, optics, and material sciences for a wide range of purposes.

Answers

So how were nanotubes discovered? Perhaps the question still remains, since the process lasted for at least 39 years. Furthermore, if the Russian discoverers were not stifled by their native tongue and political divisions, would they actually have been credited with this discovery? Perhaps discounting the work of any of these great researchers is not fair. They all contributed to the field of nanotechnology.

Even more importantly, we have only discussed known researchers. Perhaps long ago, before recorded history, the nanontube was at the center of the earth. We can only know the information that is available to us!