Carbon Nanostructures: Covalent and Macromolecular Chemistry

The aim of this introductory chapter is to bring to the attention of the readers the achievements made in the chemistry of carbon nanostructures and, mostly, in the chemistry of fullerenes, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and the most recent graphenes. Since the discovery of fullerenes in 1985 and their further preparation in multigram amounts, the chemistry and reactivity of these molecular carbon allotropes have been well established. Actually, this chemical reactivity has been used as a benchmark for further studies carried out in the coming carbon nanotubes (single and multiple wall) and graphenes. Assuming that the fundamental chemistry of fullerenes is known and basically corresponds to that…