Tokyo Researchers Create 1-Nanometer Nanotubes, Confirming 25-Year Bandgap Theory
Updated
Updated · Interesting Engineering · Jun 4
Tokyo Researchers Create 1-Nanometer Nanotubes, Confirming 25-Year Bandgap Theory
3 articles · Updated · Interesting Engineering · Jun 4
Summary
University of Tokyo scientists synthesized single-walled semiconducting molybdenum disulfide nanotubes just 1 nanometer wide, among the smallest of their kind and a potential route to more miniaturized electronics.
The team achieved that uniform structure by growing MoS2 inside protective boron nitride nanotubes, a coaxial design that avoids the instability and property variability that have limited carbon nanotubes.
Experiments on the ultrathin tubes confirmed a 25-year-old prediction that the material's bandgap decreases as diameter shrinks, settling a long-running theoretical question.
Practical devices are still years away: researchers must extend tube length from a few hundred nanometers to at least 1 micrometer to make viable transistors.
The Science paper points to broader uses for atomically controlled inorganic nanotubes, including high-resolution sensors, quantum-scale research, and eventually magnetic or superconducting materials.
Could Japan's 1nm nanotube discovery dethrone silicon and upend the global chip industry?
With transistors now built at the atomic scale, are we on the verge of creating true quantum AI?
1-Nanometer MoS₂ Nanotubes Achieved: Paving the Way for Ultra-Miniaturized, High-Performance Devices
Overview
In June 2026, researchers at the University of Tokyo achieved a major breakthrough by synthesizing atomically precise molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanotubes just one nanometer wide. They used an innovative confined growth technique, growing MoS₂ inside protective boron nitride nanotubes. This method allowed for unprecedented atomic-level control, overcoming the unpredictability of carbon nanotubes and ensuring highly uniform atomic arrangements. Such precision is crucial for developing next-generation electronic devices, as it enables reliable and reproducible properties, paving the way for smaller, faster, and more efficient electronics in the future.