Carbon nanostructures: a new scientific challenge

Abstract

Since the discovery of C60 fullerene, carbon-based nanostructures became one of the hottest research topics in science. During the past decade research efforts were mainly devoted to the investigation of C60 and carbon nanotubes, although the ability of carbon to exist in different allotropic forms has provided a variety of nanoscale size shapes with fascinating properties. In this article we highlight some of the most representative examples that document the scientific progress accomplished in this field which, surprisingly, started with a serendipitous discovery.