Endohedral and exohedral hybrids involving fullerenes and carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Since fullerenes and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were discovered, these materials have attracted a great deal of attention in the scientific community due to their unique structures and properties. The properties of both carbon allotropes can be modulated by chemical functionalization, and merging fullerenes and CNTs combines the electronic and optical properties of CNTs with the excellent electron acceptor characteristic of fullerenes; moreover, a synergistic effect of these hybrids can be found, as the properties of both the nanotube and the fullerene are affected by the presence of the other. In these hybrids, the fullerene can be located inside (endohedral) or outside (exohedral) the CNT and both types of hybrid have specific features. CNT–fullerene hybrids have been studied for various applications, including photovoltaics, optical limiting and flame retardancy amongst others. This review outlines the progress in research on CNT–fullerene hybrids, including endohedral and exohedral combinations, their properties, functionalization, applications and outlook.