Carbon is the building block of life and its uses have shaped human history, from fossil fuels to the diamond trade. Today, carbon once again promises revolutionary applications, thanks to the discovery of nanoscale carbon structures over the past three decades. In this animated video, Physics World’s Anna Demming describes the pioneering studies of Buckminster fullerene, carbon nanotubes and graphene.

Demming explains why the unique mechanical attributes of these nanostructures have led to the proposal of applications including drug delivery and even a “space elevator”. Part two of the video – coming soon – will go into more detail about the fundamental science of carbon atoms and why it has such special mechanical and electronic properties. Indeed, plenty of research is already underway and, for certain applications, carbon is threatening to outperform the current king of electronics, silicon.

This video is the second in a new series of animated videos called Physics World Explains. The first looked at dark matter and why it is so elusive.