https://www.quora.com/What-is-difference-between-carbon-nanotube-and-fullerene-and-carbon-nanofiber

https://www.quora.com/What-is-difference-between-carbon-nanotube-and-fullerene-and-carbon-nanofiber

Hmmm. Difference between an apple and a banana?

Hi,

Try to read the following article:

doi.org/10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2004.08.001

Dear Vinay S P,

01. Nanotubes :

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are cylindrical molecules that consist of rolled-up sheets of single-layer carbon atoms (graphene). They can be single-walled (SWCNT) with a diameter of less than 1 nanometer (nm) or multi-walled (MWCNT), consisting of several concentrically interlinked nanotubes, with diameters reaching more than 100 nm. Their length can reach several micrometers or even millimeters.

CNTs are allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nanostructure.

Nanotubes are members of the fullerene structural family. Their name is derived from their long, hollow structure with the walls formed by one-atom-thick sheets of carbon, called graphene.

CNTs are 100 times more robust than steel on the molecular level. They are only one-sixth the weight of steel and have a high aspect ratio, making them valuable as a mechanical property that enhances filler material.

Apart from their electrical properties, which they inherit from graphene, CNTs also have unique thermal and mechanical properties :

• CNTs are very light-weight – their density is one sixth of that of steel;
• CNTs thermal conductivity is better than that of diamond;
• CNTs have a very high aspect ratio greater than 1000, i.e. in relation to their length they are extremely thin;
• a tip-surface area near the theoretical limit (the smaller the tip-surface area, the more concentrated the electric field, and the greater the field enhancement factor);
• Like graphite, they are highly chemically stable and resist virtually any chemical impact unless they are simultaneously exposed to high temperatures and oxygen - a property that makes them extremely resistant to corrosion;
• CNTs hollow interior can be filled with various nanomaterials, separating and shielding them from the surrounding environment - a property that is extremely useful for nanomedicine applications like drug delivery.

All above mentioned properties make CNTs ideal candidates for electronic devices, chemical/electrochemical and biosensors, transistors, electron field emitters, lithium-ion batteries, white light sources, hydrogen storage cells, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electrical-shielding applications.

02. Fullerenes :

A fullerene is a third form of carbon along with graphite and diamond that features unique properties that make it ideal for photo-resists, organic photovoltaics, spin-on carbon hard masks and organic photo detectors.

A fullerene is an allotrope of carbon in the form of a hollow sphere, ellipsoid, tube, and many other shapes.

Fullerenes are similar in structure to graphite, which is composed of a sheet of linked hexagonal rings, but they contain pentagonal (or sometimes heptagonal) rings that prevent the sheet from being planar.

Fullerenes are sometimes jocularly called buckyballs or buckytubes, depending on the shape.

Cylindrical fullerenes are often called nanotubes. The smallest fullerene in which no two pentagons share an edge is C60, and as such it is also the most common.

Fullerene unique geometric shape—similar to Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome—led to their being named “Buckminsterfullerenes.”

From left to right: Diamond, graphite, and fullerene.

Fullerenes unique properties enable a range of application from electronics to medicine because they:

• Fullerenes can behave as superconductors through to semi-conductors
• Fullerenes are exceptional radical scavengers
• Fullerenes can be easily modified to tailor properties as a Derivative, enabling modification to their electronic structure, solubility and physical properties.

I hope I have answered your question.

With Best Wishes,

Samir G. Pandya

Samir G. Pandya Dear Samir, what is the your suggested route to fullerene functionalization for coupling with metal nanoparticles such as Fe and Ni? in general, are there any differences between fullerene functionalization & CNT functionalization?