Electronic properties, carbon compared with

The synthesis of molecular carbon structures in the form of C q and other fullerenes stimulated an intense interest in mesoscopic carbon structures. In this respect, the discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [1] in the deposit of an arc discharge was a major break through. In the early days, many theoretical efforts have focused on the electronic properties of these novel quasi-one-dimensional structures [2-5]. Like graphite, these mesoscopic systems are essentially sp2 bonded. However, the curvature and the cylindrical symmetry cause important modifications compared with planar graphite. 

The chemistry of compounds containing Si-Si bond(s) is an intriguing subject in the field of organosilicon chemistry because Si-Si bonds have unique physical and chemical properties. The reactivities of Si-Si bonds is often compared with those of carbon-carbon double bonds. The current interest in polysilanes in material science stems from the fact that they exhibit unusual properties implying considerable electron delocalization in the polymer chain [62]. This section concerns with the unique elecrochemical properties of compounds containing Si-Si bonds (Sect. 2.4). 

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