Ping for GenTech!!
Don't forget "caged" molecules. Novel chemical techniques have been used to trap atoms within large geometric structures, and should have interesting properties when made in useful quantities someday.
When I dream of an energy-stable future, I dream of nanotubes and nuclear. May God bless these scientists and their profound work.
I am trying to find an article about a company from Houston that is trying to patent 31(?) nanotube technologies. It's raising a big stink, since they would control who has access to a good chunk of the nano tech.
It's interesting to see individuals waxing orgasmic about laboratory curiosities. Really: no one has a concrete use for them yet and nothing has 'gone to market'.
Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc. is the company I was thinking of. Still can't find the exact article I scanned over. I think it was more alarmist, but it eluded to the fact CNI was gobbling up quite a few patents making it hard for other companies to compete. But I haven't followed Nano Tech to much, so I don't how its progressing or who are the big players in the field.
http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2004/10/04/daily32.html
http://www.winstead.com/pressroom/inthenews/HBJNanotech.pdf
http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2001/12/03/newscolumn4.html