Graphene and Fullerenes

• Graphene is a single layer of graphite and has properties that make it useful in electronics and composites
• Fullerenes are molecules of carbon with hollow shapes
• The structure of fullerenes is based on hexagonal rings of carbon atoms but they may also contain rings with five or seven atoms
• The first fullerene to be discovered was buckminsterfullerene which has a spherical shape
• Carbon nanotubes are cylindrical fullerenes with very high length to diameter ratios
• Their properties make them useful for nanotechnology, electronics, and materials