Potential of Raman spectroscopy towards understanding structures of carbon-based materials and perovskites

Sp3 and sp2 hybridised carbon materials have been exploited for myriad applications owing to their unique electronic features. Novel carbon materials and its composites are synthesised by researchers with improved physico-chemical properties for various applications. These novel materials need to be characterised to decipher the structures. Vibrational spectroscopic studies have been used to understand the lattice dynamics of such carbon materials for the last six decades. Raman spectroscopy in particular has been a unique technique in such investigations as it provides bond-specific information at a molecular level which is desirable in understanding the microstructure of carbon. In this review, we highlight the potential of Raman spectroscopy to study the microstructure of different carbon allotropes such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, fullerene, and carbon nitride and its composites. In addition, perovskites has been receiving a lot of attention recently as the scientific community has realised their potential in the areas of material science and energy storage and conversion. This review also covers a few aspects of Raman spectroscopic studies of oxide and halide perovskites.