Publisher Summary
This chapter deals with a range of issues—from conventional technology to carbon nanotechnology—where the versatility of carbon materials can be experienced when a good metal is in the form of two-dimensional (2D) graphite, super hard 3D semiconductor in the form of diamond, a quantum dot fullerene molecules, and a 1D quantum wire carbon nanotubes. The best model of systematically organizing matter at nanometer-length scale is in naturally occurring biological systems. Proteins join with other molecules to form huge assemblies both inside, and outside of individual cells, as cellular organelles, and extracellular matrix. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) is used to examine carbon samples generated by an arc-discharge method. Carbon nanotubes are viewed as a graphite sheet that is rolled up into a nanoscale tube form. Carbon nanotechnology in a systematic approach from scientific fundamentals to practical applications, with comprehensive references and remarks on cutting-age research by leading scientists, are also discussed in the chapter.
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