Carbon-Based Smart Nanomaterials: An Overview

Carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs) have different structures, such as tube-like, spherical, horn-like, or ellipsoidal. They are mainly classified into three types of dimensionality: zero-dimensional, one-dimensional, and two-dimensional. CNMs show unique chemical, biological, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties. CNMs can be synthesized and tailored toward smart materials with characteristic applications. Currently, CNMs have attracted the interest of many researchers because of their diversified shapes and applications. Physicochemical parameters responsible for toxicity, such as size, shape and morphology, surface charge, composition, coatings, surface roughness, aggregation, and biological and chemical reactivity, are required to monitor the properties of CNMs. This chapter summarizes the types, synthesis, characterization, challenges of fabrication, current research trends, future aspects, toxicity, and environmental impacts of CNMs and their regulatory bodies, risk assessment, and mitigation, emphasizing their applications.