Krätschmer and Huffman's revolutionary discovery of a new solid phase of
carbon, solid C60, in 1990 opened the way to an entire new class of
materials with physical properties so diverse that their richness has
not yet been fully exploited. Moreover, as a by-product of fullerene
research, carbon nanotubes were later identified, from which novel
nanostructures originated that are currently fascinating materials
scientists worldwide. Rivers of words have been written on both
fullerenes and nanotubes, in the form of journal articles, conference
proceedings and books. The present book offers, in a concise and
self-contained manner, the basics of the science of these materials as
well as detailed information on those aspects that have so far been
better explored. Structural, electronic and dynamical properties are
described as obtained from various measurements and state-of-the-art
calculations. Their interrelation emerges as well as their possible
dependence on, for example, preparation conditions or methods of
investigation. By presenting and comparing data from different sources,
experiment and theory, this book helps the reader to rapidly master the
basic knowledge, to grasp important issues and critically discuss them.
Ultimately, it aims to inspire him or her to find novel ways to approach
still open questions. As such, this book is addressed to new researchers
in the field as well as experts.