Fullerenes and Carbon Nanotubes
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The Nobel Prize winning discovery of fullerenes initiated a new era in carbon chemistry. In addition to the two well-known allotropes, graphite and diamond, a large number of carbon structures were synthesized. Here we will first discuss the structure of single- and multiwalled nanotubes and the nanotube “ropes.” The fullerene molecule (primarily the most abundant fullerene, C60), the polymerized, and doped fullerenes will be considered. We will review some of the physical properties, mostly focusing on the electronic structure: electrical conduction, superconductivity, and magnetism.