Dear Colleagues,

My experiences with carbon fiber, over almost 40 years, can be described as exciting, rapidly developing and broad; these same words can be used to describe carbon fiber developments for the world through that period as well. My first experience (1977) was assisting in the study of the crystalline state of iron during the catalytic formation of carbon fibers from hydrocarbons. There were no commercial products of significance, but we were speculating about possibilities. My next significant work (1985) was the serendipitous discovery that carbon fibers can be catalytically grown very rapidly from homogenous radicals formed in combustion mixtures under specific conditions. This led, circuitously, to the discovery that carbon nanotubes can be created using a microwave plasma system (2003). During this period, I bought my first ‘carbon’ frame bicycle (1995), which I still use to commute to work. There was a hiatus in my own work for more than a decade, but not in the world. Carbon fiber based skis, tennis rackets, airframes, and automobiles were all on a curve to ‘common’ by the time I returned to study new methods to make carbon fiber foams (2016), carbon fiber strain gauges (2015), and multi-scale carbon fiber fabrics (2014).

We hope, with this Special Issue, to get a snapshot of some of the work taking place in the world on carbon fibers in 2017. In addition to the continuing developments of carbon fiber for physical devices, from bicycles to bridges, even a brief survey shows 2017 to be a year in which rapid progress is taking place in the development of carbon fiber for a host of newer applications, including selective chemical detectors, low loading CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) with high electrical and thermal conductivity, conductor elements in integrated circuits, CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) and other logic circuits, radiation shielding, 3D printer feed, batteries, supercapacitors, prosthetics, implants, corrosion resistant composites, catalysts and perhaps a dozen other categories that this editor does not know about. Additionally, in the world the importance of carbon continues to gain recognition. Perhaps, “exemplary” is a world-wide ad campaign recognizing Millie Dresselhaus, “queen of carbon”, for her pioneering work in all aspects of carbon. Thus, please share your work with us as we endeavor to provide a snapshot of current work, and a roadmap into the future that forms as fast as our imaginations.

Prof. Dr. Jonathan Phillips
Guest Editor

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• carbon fiber
• properties
• applications
• growth mechanism
• catalysis
• surface chemistry