Fluorine atoms used to cut nanotubes

From Orlando, Fla., at a meeting of the American Chemical Society

Since they were first made in 1991, microscopic tubes of carbon atoms have become the focus of research aimed at developing future nanoscale electronics, machines, and drug-delivery systems. To realize such dreams, some scientists are adding groups of atoms to the carbon nanotubes’ exteriors that enable the tubes to dissolve in water, join together chemically, or otherwise interact with various materials.