A new form of carbon: coiled "nano-graphene".

The new material consists of several identical pieces of roughly twisted graphene, where each of these pieces contains exactly 80 carbon atoms connected together in a network of 26 rings, along with 30 hydrogen atoms that "decorate" the edges of the rings. Since the diameter of the individual molecules is just over one nanometer, they are referred to as "nanocarbons" or more accurately "coarsely coiled nanographenes".

In the online version of the scientific journal Nature Chemistry, chemists from Boston College and Nagoya University in Japan report that they have succeeded in synthesizing the first example of a new form of carbon that includes a disorderly coiled "nanographene" structure.

The new material consists of several identical pieces of roughly twisted graphene, where each of these pieces contains exactly 80 carbon atoms connected together in a network of 26 rings, along with 30 hydrogen atoms that "decorate" the edges of the rings. Since the diameter of the individual molecules is just over one nanometer, they are referred to as "nanocarbons" or more accurately "coarsely coiled nanographenes".

Until recently, scientists discovered only two forms of pure carbon: diamond and graphite. Then in 1985 chemists were amazed by the discovery that carbon atoms can also join together to form hollow spheres, which were given the name fullerenes. Since then, scientists have also learned how to make extremely thin, long hollow tubes of carbon atoms, called carbon nanotubes, as well as individual flat sheets of carbon atoms, known as graphene. The discovery of fullerenes was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996, and the preparation of graphene was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010.

Graphene sheets arrange themselves in two-dimensional flat and planar patterns as a result of the hexagonal structure of the carbon rings that make up the entire network, similar to the structure of a honeycomb. In contrast, the newly discovered form of carbon tends not to be flat and to twist due to the presence of 5 filled rings and one pentagonal ring embedded in the overall lattice. These defects, as a result of the presence of rings with an odd number of carbons, not only destroy the flat geometry of the sheets, but they also change the physical, optical and electronic properties of this material compared to the graphene sheets.

"Our new material is much more soluble than its flat counterpart of the same size," says the lead researcher. In addition, the materials have a different color. Electrochemical measurements showed that both forms are oxidized with equal ease, but it is more difficult to reproduce the new form.

Graphene has long been considered a breakthrough material in the field of nanoscale electronic components. The researchers demonstrated that by introducing defects of rings with an odd number of carbon atoms into the graphene lattice, its electronic properties can be changed and adjusted in a predictable manner by controlled chemical synthesis.

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