Dear Colleagues,

Carbon and silicon could be considered as two of the most important (if not the most important) elements of the periodical table, due to their tremendous and far-reaching significance in chemistry and their great impact in microelectronic and modern materials science, and life sciences. Thus, silicon and carbon nanostructures together are considered something like the holy grail of materials science and nanotechnology, due to the enormous number and the large variety of relevant materials and applications. From the early times of transistors and carbon/silicon clusters, through the more recent Fullerenes and nanotubes, to the modern times of graphene and silicene, research interest in silicon and carbon-based nanostructures has kept growing. Although Si and C share the same 4^th (or 14^th) column of the periodical table, their chemical and physical properties are different, leading to a large variety of carbon and carbon-based nanostructures, together with a plethora of silicon and silicon-based nanostructures with diverse properties; these constitute similarities and differences, which could complement each other. Therefore, current research on silicon and carbon-based nanostructures could lead to materials with combined characteristics (si-like vs. c-like), and functionalized properties such as energy gap (bandgap engineering), etc. As a characteristic modern example of such an approach, one can mention silicene and related research following (or in parallel with) similar investigations for graphene, etc. Finally, part of the theoretical work on this wide (and deep) subject, besides modeling and understanding the experimental data, could also lead to an “in silico” design of new innovative  nanostructures and nanomaterials (combined or single) with desired properties, using  new concepts and approaches (including chemical analogies, among many others). 

The present Special Issue provides an excellent opportunity for researchers working theoretically or experimentally in the field of carbon or silicon, as well as carbon–silicon, nanostructures to present and share their work. Such nanostructures include (but are not limited to) clusters, nanocrystals, fullerenes, nanotubes, nanowires, nanoribbons, nanographenes of all kinds, graphene, silicene, etc. Research articles, review articles, and communications relating to theory, simulations, properties (theoretical and/or experimental), and applications of carbon and silicon-based nanostructures are encouraged and invited for this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Aristides D. Zdetsis
Guest Editor

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• carbon/silicon nanoclusters
• carbon/silicon nanocrystals
• carbon/silicon nanowires
• carbon/silicon Fullerenes
• silicon–carbon nanostructures
• graphene
• silicene
• nanographenes
• carbon nanoribbons