Nanotubes of a Type

image credit: Ray H. Baughman, University of Texas at Dallas
© 2007 Ray H. Baughman

A proposed synthesis route to carbon nanotubes of one type. Solid-state 1,4-addition polymerization reaction (A) converts linear stacks of cyclic tetradiyne molecules 4 (B) into a hydrocarbon nanotube (C), which is the proposed precursor to the (4,4) nanotube (D). From "Hierarchical Manufacturing of Carbon Nanotube Sheets and Yarns and their applications for Active Nano-Materials Systems".