Chapter 4 - Carbon-based nanostructures and nanomaterials

Abstract

Carbon has been used in many different ways throughout history, including human life and technology. Since ancient times, coal, carbon black, and graphite have been used for writing and drawing. Recently, conjugated carbon nanomaterials especially carbon nanotubes and fullerenes have been used as a material to store energy due to its unique properties. In the last 10years, nanostructures and nanomaterials have taken attentions extensively due to having many advantages including excellent mechanical, thermal, chemical, and electrical. Therefore, carbon-based nanostructures and nanomaterials nowadays found the opportunity to be applied in numerous areas such as electronics, sensors, composite materials, drug delivery, energy conversion and storage, and field emission devices. In the 21st century, the capacity of these materials and the impressive aspects as environmentally safe and green fabrication processes and industrial production of carbon-based nanostructures and nanomaterials are extremely necessary, and therefore, it can be defined as the primary research field for technological and scientific applications. This section provides a broad overview of the fundamental properties of carbon-based nanostructures and nanomaterials, simple synthesis methods and a wide range of technological and industrial applications.