Fundamental structural, electronic, and chemical properties of carbon nanostructures: Graphene, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and their derivatives

Abstract

This chapter provides information on various carbon allotropes and in-depth details of structural, electronic, and chemical properties of graphene, fullerenes, and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). We have written an overview of different computational methods that were employed to understand various properties of carbon nanostructures. Importance of application of computational methods in exploring different sizes of fullerenes and their isomers is given. The concept of isolated pentagon rule (IPR) in fullerene chemistry has been revealed. The computational and experimental studies involving Stone-Wales (SW) and vacancy defects in fullerene structures are discussed in this chapter. The relationship between the local curvature and the reactivity of the defect-free and defective fullerene and single-walled carbon nanotubes has been revealed. We reviewed the influence of different defects in graphene on hydrogen addition. The viability of hydrogen and fluorine atom additions on the external surface of the SWCNTs is revealed using computational techniques. We have briefly pointed out the current utilization of carbon nanostructures and their potential applications.