Carbon nanotubes are tube-shaped materials made of carbon, exhibiting unique properties such as high strength, excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, and varying electrical behavior. They were discovered in the 1950s, with key advancements made in the 1990s, and can be classified into single-walled and multi-walled types. Applications of carbon nanotubes span multiple fields, including electronics, materials science, and medicine, though potential toxicity and crystallographic defects pose challenges.