The 2005/2006 George D. Graffin Lectureship in
Carbon Science and Engineering
Dr. Peter C. Eklund
Professor, Departments of Physics and Materials Science & Engineering
The Pennsylvania State University
Crystalline sp2 Nanocarbons
The American Carbon Society supported by grants from the Asbury Graphite Mills, Inc., sponsors this lecture
series in North American Universities in honor of George D. Graffin, a pioneer in the natural graphite industry.
Each year the Society selects a lecturer who has made distinguished contributions to carbon science and engineering.
The lecture is available to North American universities, by arrangement with the lecturer.
Abstract: Carbon is truly the "wonder element". Using linear combinations of carbon 2s and 2p atomic orbitals (
spn orbitals; n=1,2,3), carbon atoms can self-assemble into D-dimensional ordered crystals or molecules.
For example, the following all-carbon structures have been observed that can succinctly be described by the
pair of integers (n,D). For example: (n,D)= (3,3) diamond, (2,3) fulleride, (2,3) graphite, (2,2) graphene,
(2,1) carbon nanotubes, (1,1) carbene, (2,0) fullerene.
In this colloquium, I will share some of our experimental results on sp2-bonded carbons where D=3,2,1,0 that
over the years we have found particularly fascinating. These results include, the chemical transformation
of graphite and nanotubes into synthetic "supermetals", the photo-polymerization of solid C60, the production
of graphene, and finally the thermal transformation of SWNTs leading to the discovery of Graphitic
Nanoribbons (GNRs). We shall comment on some particularly interesting physical properties of these (2,D) systems that we have
observed along the way.
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