Spin Chemical Physics of Graphene

“The age of nanosystems was eventually consecrated from the fullerene discovery contemporarily strengthened by the evergrowing mathematical–chemical topological studies of its organic precursors, especially benzenoid systems; however, the fullerene’s rather limitative technological readiness level in real applications damped the true potential of the “bottom world” as it was earlier predicted. The rise of graphene opened a new hope with a promise to revive the transdisciplinary nanosciences as physics and chemistry provide. This book by Dr. Sheka aptly serves the purpose of securing the graphene promise in being a reliable structural support, a versatile easy-to-integrate tool, and a means through which the wave−corpuscular complementary nature of nanomatter finally finds its true representative in both fundamental science and intelligent nanotechnologies. It is a compendium and an open book alike: It provides ultimate structural information and orients the graphenic framework for the real application by employing the spin (true quantum) nature of the electronic structure on the graphenic-landia. From quantum classics to quantum relativistic as well as to magnetic features and the chemical basic processes, such as hydrogenation, oxidation, and redox, and even to mixed systems when the scattering investigation is about (especially by neutrons’ scattering) or by spin mechanochemistry, spin topochemistry, and photonics on the graphenic quantum dots, all are synergistically presented in a complex nanoscale analysis. Besides, the book succeeds in making the step toward the characterization of silicenic and tetrelenic structures while learning the fullerenic–graphenic lessons and in assuring the molectronic context by which the future smart molecular spin–based electronics will be structurally explored for sustainable design and function.”

~Prof. Dr. habil. Mihai V. Putz, West University of Timişoara, Romania

“Speckled with the resourceful cogitations of Roald Hoffmann, the tome is an excellent guidebook in the mysterious world of graphene, its derivatives, and its analogues, where the chemistry and physics of this seemingly magical material are explained by systematic application of Löwdin’s unrestricted approach in quantum chemistry, avoiding the introduction of periodic boundary conditions. The interplay between radicalization and electron correlation and the treatment of graphene as an open-shell system allow the rationalization of its peculiarities and provide a remarkable correspondence to the experimental data. The narrative is captivating and easy to follow without excessive formalism or oversimplification. The overview of a huge amount of calculations and experiments on pristine and modified graphene reported in the literature is particularly useful, but its critical and comprehensive analysis makes it even more valuable for the reader.”

~Prof. Dr. Alia Tadjer, Sofia University, Bulgaria

“This book represents something very new with respect to the immense editorial scenario devoted to the ‘miracle material’ graphene. It cannot simply be considered as a different point of view useful to look at a material under scientific or technological light, because for the first time, physics and chemistry of graphene have really been interlaced. The core of the approach used to describe the reality of graphene is the interpretation of its chemical/physical properties on the basis of spin effects derived from quantum-chemical computations. This cutting-edge perspective could be a source of inspiration for scientists and young researchers, encouraging further developments and attractive applications for such a fascinating nanomaterial.”

~Prof. Maria Letizia Terranova, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy