Research Project: Tubular Aromatics
Belt-like and tubular aromatics can be viewed as an extreme case of cyclophanes. The aromatic system is bent in such a way that the inner lobes of the p orbitals point towards the axis of the system.
pi-Systems of this type, such as carbon nanotubes, exhibit unusual properties:
- excellent field emission (display applications)
- high tensile strength (ropes, fibers and composite materials)
- complexing properties
- hydrogen storage
- conductivity (molecular wires and transistors)
- tips for scanning probe microscopy
Carbon nanotubes, nowadays, are synthesized under drastic conditions (evaporation of carbon or CVD). They are formed in small quantities, different lengths, diameter, helicity and endcapping, with structural defects, alongside with amorphous carbon and fullerenes. We are aiming at a conventional chemical synthesis of this type of compounds to obtain them in a uniform geometry or as derivatives with well defined physical properties.