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. Radushkevich and V.M. Lukyanovich published images of nanometer-sized carbon tubes, though this early work was largely overlooked due to limited access to Soviet scientific research for Western colleagues.2 The term “carbon nanotubes” was coined by Sumio Iijima in 1991 when he observed needle-like carbon structures under an electron microscope, which he identified as multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Single-walled variants were discovered shortly after in 1993. The theoretical predictions and subsequent experimental confirmations of CNTs’ unique electrical properties fueled a surge in research and potential industrial applications, making them a cornerstone of nanotechnology and materials science.3Carbon nanotubes VC deal activityDeal value ($M)Deal count$64.4$114.2$87.6$236.4$376.2$101.3223519343735201820192020202120222023*Source: PitchBook • Geography: Global*As of January 9, 20242Emerging Space Brief: Carbon NanotubesTechnologies and processesTypes of carbon nanotubesSingle-walled and multiwalled carbon nanotubes are the two main types of CNTs, with the third type being the less-common double-walled CNT.Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs): These nanotubes are composed of ...
