2021 年 2021 巻 300 号 p. 161-172
Carbon materials are mainly composed of giant polycyclic aromatic molecules. The differences in the size and shape of such macromolecules and the way they assemble lead to an immense variety of structural possibilities, which allows carbon materials to be used for a surprisingly wide range of applications. It is therefore generally recognized that control of the carbon structure not only at the molecular level but also at the nanometer and micrometer levels is indispensable for both the understanding of carbon materials and the development of high-performance carbons. Nevertheless, our approach to carbon research is rather different from the general methodology. Almost all of our efforts have been directed toward the control of carbon structure only at the molecular level. This review introduces such a molecular level approach to our carbon research such as carbon gasification, template carbonization techniques and the understanding of carbon structure and physicochemical properties in terms of carbon edges sites.
