Electronic Structure of Fullerene Nanoribbons

Using first-principles calculations, we examine the electronic structure of quasi-one-dimensional fullerene nanoribbons derived from two-dimensional fullerene networks. Depending on the edge geometry and width, these nanoribbons exhibit a rich variety of properties beyond conventional quantum confinement, including direct and indirect band gaps, positive and negative effective masses, edge and bulk states, as well as dispersive and flat bands. Our findings establish a comprehensive understanding of the electronic properties of fullerene nanoribbons, with potential implications for the design of future nanoscale devices.