The Next Generation of Carbon Allotropes: On the Way to Carbyne and Graphyne (A04)

• Subject Area: Organic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: from 2012 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 182849149

The proposed research will extend Nature's diversity beyond the known carbon allotropes (e.g., fullerenes, nanotubes, graphene, and diamond) through a rational synthesis of new allotropes based on sp-hybridized carbon, namely carbyne and graph(di)yne. Toward carbyne, both polyynes and cumulenes will be examined as model systems, in order to explore the hypothesis that bulk carbyne is actually a hybrid of both. Synthesized materials will be evaluated for technologically relevant electronic and optical properties, particularly their ability to serve as molecular wires.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 953: Synthetic Carbon Allotropes
• Applicant Institution: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Rik Tykwinski, until 10/2017