Precise synthesis of schwarzite carbon: hypothesis or reality?

Abstract

The creation of new carbon allotropes has provided tremendous opportunities in the fields of chemistry, physics, and materials science. As a new member of carbon allotropes, schwarzite carbon has been predicted to present unique physical and chemical properties. However, such a beautiful structure with broad prospects remains hypothetical. The bottom-up organic synthesis has emerged as a feasible way to synthesize the negatively curved fragments, which can serve as key building blocks to synthesize schwarzite carbon precisely. In this study, we summarize the research progress aimed at combining several means to achieve the precise synthesis of schwarzite carbon. In particular, by selecting Schwarzite P192 as an example, we designed the key units and presented a theoretical prediction.