Science Of Fullerenes And Carbon Nanotubes

The discovery of fullerenes (also known as buckyballs) has generated tremendous excitement and opened up a new field of carbon chemistry. As the first book available on this topic, this volume will be a landmark reference in the field. Because buckyballs are essentially closed hollow cages made up of carbon atoms, they can be manipulated in a variety of ways to yield never-before-seen materials. The balls can, for instance, be doped with atoms or pulled out into tubules and filled with lead to provide properties of high-temperature superconductivity. Researchers can now create their own buckyballs in a process that is almost as simple as making soot, making this research as inexpensive as it is exotic (which has doubtless contributed to its popularity). Researchers anticipate that fullerenes will offer boundless opportunities in the development of new products, drugs and materials. Science of Fullerenes and Carbon Nanotubes introduces materials scientists, chemists, and solid state physicists to the field of fullerenes, and discusses the unique properties and applications. both current and future, of all classes of fullerenes. Key Features * First comprehensive resource on fullerenes and their applications * Provides an introduction to the topic * Presents an extensive discussion of current and future applications of Fullerenes * Covers all classes of fullerenes

Fullerenes and nanotubes are two classes of carbon structures or allotropes, which were discovered about 17 years ago. Since that time, many chemical derivatives have been synthesized using fullerenes and nanotubes as building blocks. Particularly promising was the theory that the chemical properties of fullerenes, and certain derivatives, made them likely candidates for anticancer drugs, inhibitors of viruses such as HIV, or even as anti-bacterials. Their cyctotoxicity can also be controlled by specific circumstances. In addition, the funtionalization of nanotubes has not only produced relatively simple derivatives, but also complex hybrids with biological macromolecules, which show unique supramolecular architecture and which are promising in many medical applications. The application of fullerenes and nanotubes in medicine is at the frontier of our knowledge, thus the work in this field represents the basis for future novel developments.

This book is the first of its kind to reflect upon the intense and rapidly growing interest in open geodesic polyaromatic molecules, specifically focusing on their synthesis and reactivity in metal binding reactions. The book broadly covers all aspects related to the fullerene fragment chemistry: current synthetic techniques, description of the available members of this new family (which has grown to more than two dozens members, with none being available commercially), molecular geometry and trends in the solid state packing, as well as extensions into physical properties and new buckybowl-based molecules and materials. It covers fundamental research related to a new class of hydrocarbons, namely open geodesic polyarenes that map onto the surfaces of fullerenes (and referred to as fullerene fragments or buckybowls.

Nanocarbon chemistry and physics is a fast-developing, broad research area – the Nobel prizes in 1996 and 2010 awarded to two key discoveries in the field, and several other nanocarbon achievements of comparable importance. Owing to this rapid growth, the nanocarbon landscape fundamentally changes every few years, creating a need to survey the field on a regular basis to update the books that have become incomplete or even obsolete. As such, this book focuses on fullerenes and metallofullerenes and also on the related areas of nanotubes and graphenes. All the covered research topics provide important fundamental knowledge for the natural sciences, but also for applications in molecular electronics, superconductivity, catalysis, photovoltaics and medical diagnostics. The current nanocarbon research activities have particularly high application potential in the conversion of solar energy, future molecular memories, non-conventional materials for optoelectronics, and new treatments for civilization diseases. Offering a truly up-to-date critical survey of nanocarbon science, its concepts and highlights, it follows the concept of a handbook: it addresses key topics systematically, from historical background, methodological aspects, current important issues, and application potential, all supplied with extensive referencing. With individual chapters written by leading experts with extensive research experience, it is a comprehensive reference resource for graduate students and active researchers alike.

Krätschmer and Huffman's revolutionary discovery of a new solid phase of carbon, solid C60, in 1990 opened the way to an entire new class of materials with physical properties so diverse that their richness has not yet been fully exploited. Moreover, as a by-product of fullerene research, carbon nanotubes were later identified, from which novel nanostructures originated that are currently fascinating materials scientists worldwide. Rivers of words have been written on both fullerenes and nanotubes, in the form of journal articles, conference proceedings and books. The present book offers, in a concise and self-contained manner, the basics of the science of these materials as well as detailed information on those aspects that have so far been better explored. Structural, electronic and dynamical properties are described as obtained from various measurements and state-of-the-art calculations. Their interrelation emerges as well as their possible dependence on, for example, preparation conditions or methods of investigation. By presenting and comparing data from different sources, experiment and theory, this book helps the reader to rapidly master the basic knowledge, to grasp important issues and critically discuss them. Ultimately, it aims to inspire him or her to find novel ways to approach still open questions. As such, this book is addressed to new researchers in the field as well as experts.

Carbon nanotubes have been studied extensively in relation to fullerenes, and together with fullerenes have opened a new science and technology field on nano scale materials. A whole range of issues from the preparation, structure, properties and observation of quantum effects in carbon nanotubes in comparison with 0-D fullerenes are discussed. In addition, complementary reviews on carbon nanoparticles such as carbon nano-capsules, onion-like graphite particles and metal-coated fullerenes are covered. This book aims to cover recent research and development in this area, and so provide a convenient reference tool for all researchers in this field. It is also hoped that this book can serve to stimulate future work on carbon nanotubes.

Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) is the material lying between fullerenes and graphite as a new member of carbon allotropes. The study of CNT has gradually become more and more independent from that of fullerenes. As a novel carbon material, CNTs will be far more useful and important than fullerenes from a practical point of view, in that they will be directly related to an ample field of nanotechnology. This book presents a timely, second-generation monograph covering as far as practical, application of CNT as the newest science of these materials. Most updated summaries for preparation, purification and structural characterisation of single walled CNT and multi walled CNT are given. Similarly, the most recent developments in the theoretical treatments of electronic structures and vibrational structures are covered. The newest magnetic, optical and electrical solid-state properties providing a vital base to actual application technologies are described. Explosive research trends towards application of CNTs, including the prospect for large-scale synthesis, are also introduced. It is the most remarkable feature of this monograph that it devotes more than a half of the whole volume to practical aspects and offers readers the newest developments of the science and technological aspects of CNTs.