The review presents data on the synthesis, properties of carbon-containing compounds, and their application in the technology of obtaining functional and structural composites. Such materials are widely used in recent years due to their good physical and mechanical properties. The review discusses in detail the influence of the chemical composition of various carbon-containing substances and the size of the dispersed phase on the mechanical and physical properties of produced metal matrix composite. The review also concerns methods for the modern synthesis of graphene, carbon nanotubes, and metallic functional and structural composites with reinforcing carbon-containing compounds. Additionally, the results of metal matrix composite modeling are presented. They show that the improved mechanical properties of CNT–Al composites can be attributed to three factors:
CNT hardening, matrix grain refinement, and layered architecture