Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon is an extraordinary element, considering the diversity of materials it forms. Ranging from sparkling gems to sooty filth, these materials have been studied and used for centuries, and carbon science was long thought to be a mature field. So when a whole new class of carbon materials—the fullerenes, such as ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ —appeared in the last decade, many scientists were surprised. The consequences have reached well beyond the fullerenes themselves to include major changes in our concepts and understanding of long‐known carbon materials. It is in this context that the story of carbon nanotubes starts.