Innovation with carbon materials——A report on the annual world conference on carbon, Carbon 2015

The annual world conference on carbon, Carbon 2015, was held in Dresden, Germany, and was hosted by the German Carbon Group and German Ceramic Society, during July 12~17, 2015. About 582 attendees from 40 countries participated in the conference, and 540 papers were accepted for discussion, including 4 plenary lectures, 256 oral presentations, and 280 posters involved in 12 topics, namely, activated carbon, biomass derived carbon, carbon black, carbon fiber and composites, granular/nuclear carbon, natural graphite, nanoforms, industrial, conversion process, physical & chemical properties, environmental & medical, and energy storage. Carbon fiber, graphite, carbon black, and carbon alloy were the subjects of the plenary lectures. The innovation of the traditional carbon materials and new nanocarbon, the critical role of carbon in energy, environment, and healthcare application, as well as the new insights on the relationship of structure and properties at the molecular scale were strongly considered in this event. Carbon materials required continuous innovation to meet the rising requirement of sustainable society.