Bonding, Structure and the properties of matter

• Boiling and condensing


  Take place at the boiling point
• Diamond


  Each carbon is joined to 4 other carbons covalently
• Graphite


  • Similar to metals because of its delocalised electrons
  • Can conduct electricity - unlike Diamond, because the delocalised electrons can move
• Graphene

  • Has properties that make it useful in electronics and composites
  • Very strong because atoms within its layers are very tightly bonded
  • Elastic because the planes of atoms can flex relatively easily without the atoms breaking apart
• Small molecules


  • Are usually gases or liquids that have low boiling and melting points
  • Have weak intermolecular forces between the molecules, which are broken in boiling or melting, not the covalent bonds
  • The intermolecular forces increase with the size of the molecules, so larger molecules have higher melting and boiling points
  • Don't conduct electricity because small molecules do not have an overall electric charge
• Buckminsterfullerene (C60)


  The first fullerene to be discovered, has a spherical shape
• Metals


  • Have giant structures of atoms with strong metallic bonding
  • Most metals have high melting and boiling points
  • The layers of atoms in metals are able to slide over each other, so metals can be bent and shaped
• Fullerenes


  Nanoparticles involve fullerenes
• A nanoparticle has different properties to the 'bulk' chemical it's made from, because of their high surface area to volume ratio
• There are some concerns that nanoparticles may be toxic to people and able to enter the brain from the bloodstream and cause harm