A domestic research team says that it has for the first time enlarged carbon nanotubes by four times and returned them to original size using electricity.

The team led by Sungkyunkwan University Professor Lee Young-hee and Chonbuk National University Professor Lee Seung-hee described their findings Thursday, saying that when an electric current was applied to highly enriched carbon nanotube condensations injected into a liquid crystal display solution, the nanotubes expanded more than fourfold.

When the current was removed, the team says the nanotubes returned to their original size.

Carbon nanotubes are tiny structures built on a complex of carbon atoms arranged in hexagons and curled into tubes. They are prized for their strength, conductivity and heat transfer ability, and are expected to form the basis of many next-generation products.

The study has drawn interest for its potential to enhance LCD monitors' ability to more smoothly render moving images without "visual breaking."

The team's findings are set to appear in the August issue of Nano Letters.