AROMATIC CHARACTER OF GRAPHITE AND CARBON NANOTUBES

Degrees of aromatic stabilization were estimated graph-theoretically f or a single graphite sheet and infinitely long graphitic tubules. Grap hite was found to be as aromatic as fully benzenoid hydrocarbons. All graphitic tubules have essentially the same aromatic stabilization ene rgy per carbon atom as a single graphite sheet. This is closely associ ated with the fact that graphitic tubules can change their diameters s o as to form a closely packed multilayered carbon nanotube. Metallic t ubules are only slightly less aromatic than semiconductive ones.