allotropes of carbon

• Allotropes:


  DIFFERENT STRUCTURAL forms of the SAME ELEMENT in the same physical state.
• Examples of different allotropes of Carbon:

  • diamond
  • graphite
  • graphene
  • fullerenes
• Diamond:


  • Formed from CARBON ATOMS
  • each sharing four COVALENT BONDS in a strong, 3D lattice.
  • It does not conduct electricity as it has NO FREE MOVING ELECTRONS OR IONS.
  • Has a very high melting & boiling point

  
• DIAMOND is very hard, with a high melting point.


  Because of the LARGE NETWORK of covalent bonds that require a LARGE AMOUNT of ENERGY to overcome.

  
• Graphite:


  • Composed of 2D layers made up of repeating HEXAGONAL RINGS.
  • With each carbon atom bonded to THREE other atoms with COVALENT BONDS.
  • It's SOFT, & used as a LUBRICANT due to weak forces between 2D layers, causing the layers to SLIDE over one another.

  
• Graphite:


  Carbon has FOUR electrons in its outer shell, so the fourth electron that is NOT used for bonding is DELOCALISED.

  • This means GRAPHITE is a good CONDUCTOR of electricity, as its delocalised electrons can carry a charge (just like metals).

  
• Graphene:


  A SINGLE LAYER of graphite, which consists of carbon atoms arranged into flat hexagons.

  • Found naturally within graphite from the ground.

  
• FULLERENES:


  Allotropes of carbon, made by folding sheets of graphene into 3D hollow structures like spheres or tubes, which are used for all sorts of things.

  
• BUCKMINSTERFULLERENE:

  The first SPHERICAL FULLERENE produced, made from 60 carbon atoms, so it has a formula of C60.

  
• Carbon nanotube properties make them useful for:


  • nanotechnology
  • electronics
  • materials

  
• A single layer of graphite is graphene and when isolating these individual layers to use them to make other structures like spheres & tubes called fullerenes.

  
• Graphene:


  It can conduct HEAT & ELECTRICITY.

  • As each carbon has one delocalised electron, So it's used in ELECTRONICS & composite materials.

  It's strong & light.

  
• FULLERENES:


  • The structure has hexagonal rings of Carbon atoms but may also contain rings with five or seven Carbon atoms.
  • They can contain other molecules

  
• Uses of fullerenes in industry:

  • Delivery of medicines around the body
  • Catalysts in chemical reactions as they have a high surface area to volume ratio.

  
• Nanotubes:


  Very tiny fullerenes tubes.

  
• Nanotubes:


  Conductors of HEAT & ELECTRICITY:

  • as each carbon atom has one delocalised electron which can carry charge.

  Used to strengthen other materials like tennis rackets frames

  • due to their very high length : diameter ratio
  • meaning they’re long & thin, which allows them to add strength to the material without adding very much weight

  So they can be used in ELECTRONICS & nanotechnology.

  
• Nanotechnology:


  Technology that uses fullerenes, used in industries like:

  • medicine
  • batteries
  • food
  • fashion