Textbook in PDF format

Molecular carbon chains have attracted much interest for more than 130 years, but the length of chains is limited to 44 atoms even by sophisticated chemical synthesis. Recently, the artificial synthesis of long linear carbon chains, “carbynes,” has revived, and their existence was firmly substantiated using the latest advanced analytical methods, such as high-resolution electron microscopy and Raman scattering spectroscopy. Until the 1980s, graphite and diamond were the well-known allotropic forms of elemental carbon, which were two-dimensional (2D) and 3D crystals, respectively. Carbyne is the ultimate 1D nanowire with atomic diameter and its synthesis has opened prospects for versatile properties of carbon materials. Carbyne is a 1D semiconductor with a direct transition energy gap and interesting properties such as extreme mechanical strength are expected from it. This book comprehensively reviews and describes the latest chemical and physical synthesis methods, theoretically predicted properties, and possible applications of carbyne. Historical Survey of “Carbyne” Research Leading to This Book Formation and Characterization of Polyynes in Liquid and Solid Media Growth of Polyynes by Laser Ablation in Solution Discovery of Carbon Nanowires and Mass Production of Single-Walled Carbon Nanowires by Polyyne Fusion Synthesis of Long Linear Carbon Chains Confined in Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Atomistic Simulations of Formation Processes of Carbon Nanowires Synthesis of Confined Carbyne inside Carbon Nanotubes by Thermal Annealing Linear Carbon Chains Formed by Electric Discharge of Carbon Nanotube Cathode Structural and Electrical Characterization of Atomic Carbon Chains in the Electron Microscope Carbon Chain Stripped from Graphene and Carbon Nanotube Superconductivity of One-Dimensional Carbon