Spiers Memorial Lecture. Advances of carbon nanomaterials

During the last two decades the exciting properties of carbon nanomaterials, i.e. fullerene, carbon nanotubes and graphene, have drawn pronounced attention. This brief review will discuss the recent advances in the science and applications of nanocarbons, mainly of nanotubes and graphene, and the opportunities and challenges that exist in future technologies based on these emerging materials. The review will discuss the growth and selection, chemical modifications, substitutional doping, and engineering three-dimensional structures, and demonstrations of possible applications. This is a perspective on how the advent of nanocarbons will enable the development of the next generation of carbon materials and technologies relevant for a broad range of applications.