On-surface synthesis of aromatic cyclo[10]carbon and cyclo[14]carbon
All-carbon materials based on sp2-hybridized atoms, such as fullerenes1, carbon nanotubes2 and graphene3, have been much explored due to their remarkable physicochemical properties and potential for applications. Another unusual all-carbon allotrope family are the cyclo[n]carbons (Cn) consisting of two-coordinated sp-hybridized atoms. They have been studied in the gas phase since the twentieth century4–6, but their high reactivity has meant that condensed-phase synthesis and real-space cha...
Source: nature.com