Toward controlled synthesis of carbon nanotubes and graphenes

A bottom-up synthesis of structurally uniform carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphenes is recognized as one of the greatest challenges of primary importance in nano carbon science. This paper highlights our efforts to address these challenges since 2005. These endeavors have led to (i) modular, size-selective, and scalable synthesis of [n]cycloparapheneylenes (CPPs), the shortest segment of armchair CNTs, (ii) design and synthesis of the shortest segment of chiral CNTs, and (iii) efficient synthesis of carbon nanosheets through catalytic C-H bond arylation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We consider these works as a possible first step toward a controlled synthesis of structurally uniform CNTs and nanographenes.