Carbon Nanoparticles - Chapter 5 Review

Buckminster Fullerenes

• C60

• Shape of soccer ball with hexagonal/pentagonal sides

• Properties:

  • Low sublimation point (weak Van Der Waal forces, no continuous giant lattice structure)

  • Soft (weak IMF)

  • Poor Conductor (Extent of delocalized electrons like with Graphite’s p-orbitals are shorter)

  • Slightly Soluble

  • Very reactive (High electron density)

Fullerenes

• Allotropes of carbon in the form of hollow spheres/tubes

Nanotubes

• Fullerenes of hexagonal atoms in a cylinder

• Properties:

  • Highly conductive (along the long axis some delocalized electrons can run across the tube)

  • High Tensile Strength

  • High Melting Point (Strong covalent bonds)

Graphene

• Single layer of graphite

• Properties:

  • Flexible

  • Most reactive allotrope of Carbon

  • Strong but lightweight

  • More conductive than graphite in terms of volume