Nano-Carbon Electronics

Abstract : Structure, topology, chemical, mechanical and opto-electronic properties, all are dependent on the bonding hybridisation between carbon atoms. Carbon can bond to itself and other elements, creating a plethora of material types with a simple change in a single bond. With diamond and graphite known since antiquity, better understanding of the synthesis, particularly over a large area, has enabled bottom-up design of thin films. Coupled with the discoveries of fullerenes, nanotubes and graphene, this has led to a renaissance in the study of carbon as an electronic material.

Structure, topology, chemical, mechanical and opto-electronic properties, all are dependent on the bonding hybridisation between carbon atoms. Carbon can bond to itself and other elements, creating a plethora of material types with a simple change in a single bond. With diamond and graphite known since antiquity, better understanding of the synthesis, particularly over a large area, has enabled bottom-up design of thin films. Coupled with the discoveries of fullerenes, nanotubes and graphene, this has led to a renaissance in the study of carbon as an electronic material.

Electrical versatility with structural integrity of hybrid nano-carbons opens a new generation of multi-functional materials to be designed with light-matter interactions and large area electronic backplanes for sustainable technologies. The potential for future nano-carbon based electronic devices are numerous and significant, but so are the technical and engineering challenges that need to be overcome.