Ribbon made of carbon pentagons and heptagons has metallic properties

Ribbons that are composed exclusively of five- and seven-carbon rings have metal-like electron transport and conductance. The ribbons can be synthesized by linking previously inaccessible chains of paired five-membered rings, providing a route to making highly conducting carbon nanoribbons. The ‘pentaheptite’ ribbons can be made by joining chains of paired five-membered rings side-by-side.