Research

Scientific Aim of the SFB 953 ‘Synthetic Carbon Allotropes’

At a time when silicon-based technology is approaching its fundamental limits, any new candidate materials for future electronic devices is welcome. Owing to their spectacular electronic, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties, synthetic carbon allotropes are expected to offer an exceptional choice. Their importance is now abundantly clear in terms of fundamental physics. However, in order to fully exploit attractive applications such as nanoelectronics, sensors, nanocomposites, batteries, and supercapacitors a wide range of fundamental studies and discoveries into the science and technology of synthetic carbon allotropes is still required. It is clear that only an efficient interdisciplinary network of researchers with complementary expertise is the most appropriate tool to achieve important breakthroughs. The scientific aim of the SFB 953 ‘Synthetic Carbon Allotropes’ is to tackle these challenges by making use of the well-recognized expertise in Erlangen in the field of synthetic carbon allotropes through increasing the interactions between the disciplines within a formal environment. The joint efforts and interdisciplinary interaction between chemists, physicists, materials scientists, chemical engineers, and theoreticians forms the basis of our approach to these challenges.