  In this review, we present our recent computational work on carbon-based
nanostructured composites. These materials consist of carbon crystallites
embedded in an amorphous carbon matrix and are modeled here through classical
and semi-empirical quantum-mechanical simulations. We investigate the
energetics, mechano-elastic, and optoelectronic properties of these materials.
Once the stability of the composites is discussed, we move on to the
calculation of their elastic moduli and constants, their anisotropy and elastic
recovery. At a next step, we focus on diamond composites, which were found to
be the most stable among the composites studied, and went beyond the elastic
regime to investigate their ideal fracture. Finally, for these materials, the
electronic density of states, dielectric function, and optical response were
calculated and linked to the disorder in the structures. Our findings unveil
the high potential of these materials in nanotechnological applications,
especially as ultlra-hard coatings.
