1

To serve as the building blocks of graphene and graphite sheets, carbon nanotubes, and C60 bucky balls.

 Carbon has four bonding (valence) electrons.

If each electron bonds with a different atom, the four bonds form a tetrahedron ~109 apart. To chemists and physicists, these are "sigma sp3 hybrid" bonds.

Electrons are held immobile in these "sigma" bonds and as a result they will not pass electrical current.

 The most basic carbon ring structure is "cyclohexane shown in the next slide. Six carbon atoms form a ring. Hydrogen atoms complete the rest of the bonds. To a chemist, the name cyclohexane says the following: "cyclo" = ring, "hex" = six, "ane" = carbon atoms are bonded to each other only with single non-conducting sigma bonds (i.e. this is in the class of "alkane" carbon compounds).

 In "benzene," on each C one electron bonds with H, 1 bonds with C, 2 bond with another C.

The first 3 electrons are in co-planar "sigma sp2 hybrid" bonds 120 apart.
The 4th electron is perpendicular to the ring in the "pi" configuration. "Pi" electrons on adjacent carbons connect to form "pi bonds.

 But there are two ways the pi electrons can pair. The electrons jump between these two configurations in what is called "resonance." Because they can jump along the ring, pi bonds will conduct electrical current. Thus, carbon chains will conduct if they contain an alternation of single and multiple bonds (double or triple). These chains are said to be "conjugated."

 If the hydrogen atoms are stripped from a benzene molecule (making a "phenyl group") this unit can be connected together into sheets of "graphene.

The bonding is the same: The first three carbon bonding electrons are tied up in sigma sp2 bonds, the fourth electron is in a pi configuration.

 The pi electrons can again bridge together to form pi bonds. And as the pairings change, a continuous moving cloud of pi electrons forms above and below the graphene plane. This movement of pi electrons means that graphene can also conduct electrical current.

 But in graphene, the pi electron clouds can slosh back and forth. Electrons may accumulate in some regions (making them negative) and deplete in others (making them positive). Now, if along one sheet of graphene the net charge is + - + it can induce a wave of - + - charge on a parallel sheet of graphene.

 The + areas on one sheet then attract the - areas on the other (and vice versa).
This attraction can pull sheets together in a weaker form of "van der Waals" bonding.

The resulting stacks of graphene form graphite. Because of the weak bonding, sheets can slide and pull apart. So, in addition to being an electrical conductor, graphite is a lubricant.

 Single sheets of graphene can also be rolled up to form carbon nanotubes. They are actually formed spontaneously when carbon is immersed in intense flames or arcs.

In fact, even cavemen probably "made" these structures in their campfires. Indeed, the trick is how to sort them out from all the other forms of carbon that are created at the same time.

 Nanotubes can be formed by rolls of single or double sheets of graphene.

The sheets can also be joined so that rings run along a tubes circumference or up it in twisting ("chiral") spirals.

Because pi electron waves now run back upon themselves, electrical conduction depends upon the exact structure and diameter of the tube.

a) Armchair b) Zigzag
c) Chiral

 Different rings of carbon can be joined together to form spheres. Here five and six member rings are joined to form a sphere of C60.

C60 is studied for its electrical and mechanical properties, and for its ability to serve as a near invulnerable cage for enclosing other molecules (a possible way of safely introducing otherwise toxic chemicals into the human body).

 This structure is also called a "Buckyball" or a "Buckminster Fullerene" after the architect and futurist Buckminster Fuller. He built buildings out of similar assemblies of polygonal plates. Today these hugely larger structures are most often seen as enclosures for rotating radar antennas.

A lot of techniques have been developed to produce graphene and nanotubes in sizeable quantities.

 Drawing method Epitaxial growth on silicon carbide

Epitaxial growth on metal substrates Graphite oxide reduction Growth from metal-carbon melts

Pyrolysis of sodium ethoxide

 From nanotubes
From sugar From graphite by sonication Dry ice method

Production of graphene sheet from graphite derivatives

 Arc discharge

Laser ablation Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) Super-growth CVD Natural, incidental, and controlled flame environments Application-related issues

Production of Single-wall & Multi-wall CNT

The various properties of graphene and carbon nanotubes makes them of potential use in many fields. And they will have an important role in nanotechnology engineering.

 Single-Molecule Gas Detection Graphene Nanoribbons

Graphene Transistors Graphene Optical Modulators Integrated Circuits Electrochromic Devices Transparent Conducting Electrodes

 Reference material for characterizing electroconductive and transparent materials Thermal management materials-Thermal interfacial materials Solar cells Ultracapacitors
Graphene biodevices Anti-bacterial

 Structural

In electrical circuits As electrical cables and wires As paper batteries Solar cells

 Hydrogen Storage

Ultracapacitors Radar Absorption Medical Other applications

This presentation is like a droplet in the ocean. Ive presented very briefly what I want exactly. But this field is like the ocean as I said. Thanks for attention..