Carbon Nanotubes – A scientometric study

In contrast to our previous study (Barth & Marx, 2008) dealing with a currently decreasing research field (high-temperature superconductors) we analyzed here a topic which has raised a strongly increasing interest among researchers: research activities around carbon nanotubes (CNTs or NTs). Carbon nanotubes (often named only nanotubes) are graphite sheets rolled up into cylinders with diameters of the order of a few nanometers and up to some millimeters in length with at least one end capped with a hemisphere of the fullerene structure. There are two main types of nanotubes: the single-walled nanotubes (SWCNTs or SWNTs) and the multi-walled nanotubes (MWCNTs or MWNTs), in particular the doublewalled nanotubes (DWCNTs or DWNTs). MWCNTs consist of a single sheet of graphite rolled in around itself (like a rolled up newspaper) or consist of multiple layers of graphite arranged in concentric cylinders (like a Russian Doll).