Carbon nanotubes are exceptionally strong and stretchy. To take advantage of these properties, scientists have been trying to make thin sheets from nanotubes that could be used as structural coatings for vehicle or aerospace parts or for protective military and sports gear.

Explore the different forms (allotropes) of the chemical element carbon.

A fullerene, also called buckminsterfullerene, is any of a series of hollow carbon molecules that form either a closed cage (“buckyballs”) or a cylinder (carbon “nanotubes”).

For the first time, researchers have found carbon nanotubes in humans---specifically, in the lungs of 64 children with asthma.

Safety fears about carbon nanotubes, due to their structural similarity to asbestos, have been alleviated following research showing that reducing their length removes their toxic properties.

NIOSH is the leading federal agency conducting research and providing guidance on the occupational safety and health implications and applications of nanotechnology.

Scientists from CSIRO and Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials have developed a diamond-coated yarn which could reduce costs in the solar and semiconductor industries.

Devices could track insulin levels in the body or sniff out cancerous cells.

New technique uses carbon nanotube film to directly heat and cure composite materials.

Researchers at IBM say a “major engineering breakthrough” gives reason to be optimistic that a promising alternative to silicon transistors—carbon nanotube transistors—will be ready in time to take silicon’s place.

Nanotubes have been billed as the key to curing cancer, building space elevators, and creating real-world Spidermen. Whether they're totally tubular or just an over-hyped pipe dream remains to be seen.