Carbon-Based Metal-Free Catalysts, 2 Volumes

6Nanocarbons from Synthetic Polymer Precursors and Their Catalytic Properties

Eric Gottlieb Krzysztof Matyjaszewski and Tomasz Kowalewski

Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Chemistry, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

6.1 Introduction

Carbon is a unique material that can exhibit a wide range of chemical and physical properties [1]. The half‐filled valence shell of elemental carbon and associated readiness to adopt sp, sp², and sp³ hybridizations; its moderate electronegativity; and small size enable it to form various arrangements of strong bonds with carbons and other atoms [2]. Three principal allotropes of carbon corresponding to pure sp, sp², and sp³ hybridizations are 1D carbyne, 2D graphene, and 3D diamond, respectively ...