Science of Fullerenes and Carbon Nanotubes

Front Cover
Academic Press, 1996 - Science - 965 pages
The discovery of fullerenes (also known as buckyballs) has generated tremendous excitement and opened up a new field of carbon chemistry. As the first book available on this topic, this volume will be a landmark reference in the field. Because buckyballs are essentially closed hollow cages made up of carbon atoms, they can be manipulated in a variety of ways to yield never-before-seen materials. The balls can, for instance, be doped with atoms or pulled out into tubules and filled with lead to provide properties of high-temperature superconductivity. Researchers can now create their own buckyballs in a process that is almost as simple as making soot, making this research as inexpensive as it is exotic (which has doubtless contributed to its popularity). Researchers anticipate that fullerenes will offer boundless opportunities in the development of new products, drugs and materials. Science of Fullerenes and Carbon Nanotubes introduces materials scientists, chemists, and solid state physicists to the field of fullerenes, and discusses the unique properties and applications. both current and future, of all classes of fullerenes. Key Features * First comprehensive resource on fullerenes and their applications * Provides an introduction to the topic * Presents an extensive discussion of current and future applications of Fullerenes * Covers all classes of fullerenes.

About the author (1996)

Mildred Dresselhaus was born Mildred Spiewak in Brooklyn, New York on November 11, 1930. She received a bachelor's degree from Hunter College, a master's degree from Radcliffe College, and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. In 1960, she ended up at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She worked at Lincoln Laboratory, a defense research center, where she was one of two women on a scientific staff of 1,000. Her research into the fundamental properties of carbon helped transform it into the superstar of modern materials science and the nanotechnology industry. In 1968, she was the first woman to secure a full professorship at M.I.T. and worked to promote the cause of women in science. She published more than 1,700 scientific papers and co-wrote eight books. She received the National Medal of Science, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Kavli Prize in Nanoscience, and the Enrico Fermi Prize. She died on February 20, 2017 at the age of 86.