Science!

[Colonel Flagg]

I remember that - at least in the initial phase of discovery - the multiwall variety was actually easier to make than a single or double walled nanotube. An article I read showed an SEM photo of 7 nested nanotubes, for example. These would actually be preferable (I believe) for construction since not only do you have the tensile properties, you also have stiffness (from the nested tubes). From a chemical and electronic viewpoint, the single walled variety is more interesting since you can fill them up with metal atoms, forming nanowires.

Developing the ability to control the reaction to get the products you want is the key.

Better living (and researching) through chemistry.

[camacazio]

Originally Posted by Colonel Flagg

I remember that - at least in the initial phase of discovery - the multiwall variety was actually easier to make than a single or double walled nanotube. An article I read showed an SEM photo of 7 nested nanotubes, for example. These would actually be preferable (I believe) for construction since not only do you have the tensile properties, you also have stiffness (from the nested tubes). From a chemical and electronic viewpoint, the single walled variety is more interesting since you can fill them up with metal atoms, forming nanowires.

Developing the ability to control the reaction to get the products you want is the key.

Better living (and researching) through chemistry.

I dunno dude I have it on good authority that chemists are idiots.
EDIT: ok so I guess I really don't know much about nanotubes. Glancing a bit on the web, looks like multi-wall is really just in the far limit of bad fabrication technology. Do they have specific uses that single-walled fail at?

[Colonel Flagg]

Originally Posted by camacazio

I dunno dude I have it on good authority that chemists are idiots.

Aha. Thou consorts with Physicists! For shame!

Originally Posted by camacazio

ok so I guess I really don't know much about nanotubes. Glancing a bit on the web, looks like multi-wall is really just in the far limit of bad fabrication technology. Do they have specific uses that single-walled fail at?

I don't know what else I can add that I didn't already. THe concept of nanowires is fairly old, and may have been shown to be impossible from a practical standpoint.