Abstract
INTRODUCTION
There are four known forms of pure carbon: graphite, diamond,
chaoite/ceraphite, and fullerenes. Fullerenes are very common in nature but
were not recognized as a fourth form of carbon until relatively recently. For
instance, early electron microscopes identified a variety of carbon filaments,
including the filaments that make up soot and carbon black. It wasn' t until
the 1980s that many of these were recognized as fullerenes and were
characterized and modeled. It was eventually determined that spherical, oblate
tubular, and a number of tube-like transition structures were possible.
Further, multilayer fullerene structures are possible.
This business opportunity report focuses on these new materials: fullerenes.
This includes fullerene spheres (C60, commonly known as buckyballs),
nanotubes, sheets, buckets, and endrohedral fullerenes (various caged
structures). Since their introduction in 1985, fullerenes have been considered
for everything from lubricants to construction girders. As fullerene synthesis
techniques improve, they have moved from laboratory curiosities to research
products and finally to the market place. Within the 10-year scope of this
report, fullerenes should begin to graduate into a commonly available (if
still expensive) specialty material.
Fullerene spheres, in the form of C60 are allotrope of carbon (like graphite
and diamond). They were discovered in 1985 using the laser evaporation of
graphite. Fullerene sheets and foams have now also been created. Endohedral
Fullerenes form cages that surround atoms, ions or other molecules. Carbon
nanotubes were discovered in 1991 through vaporizing carbon graphite with an
electric arc under an inert atmosphere and its chemical vapor deposition.
Single-walled carbon nanotubes are essentially graphite sheets rolled into a
cylinder and capped with pentagonal rings. The first endrohedral was a
lanthanum C60 complex synthesized in 1985. Since then, an ever-growing suite
of these structures has been described. Metallic endrohedral complexes are
typically formed using an arc reactor or with laser evaporation.
SCOPE OF STUDY
This report contains:
- Fullerene chemistry, a summary of synthesis techniques, and a description
of properties that provide valuable and even unique features and functionality
- Markets, including exiting, short-term, and long-term applications and
market predictions for several scenarios
- Projections for the global market value through 2011
- A detailed review of relevant technologies old, new, and upcoming.
- The top companies in the fullerenes industry as well as a detailed patent
analysis.
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