Fullerene Flashcards
(12 cards)
What is fullerene and who discovered it?
Fullerene is a crystalline allotropic form of carbon with a cage-like structure of fused rings. It was discovered by R.E. Smalley and R.F. Curl in 1985; they won the Nobel Prize in 1996.
What is the basic structure of C₆₀ fullerene?
C₆₀, known as buckminsterfullerene, has 60 carbon atoms forming a truncated icosahedron composed of 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons.
Name and describe different types of fullerenes.
Buckyballs (C₆₀), Carbon Nanotubes (cylindrical), Carbon Megatubes (larger diameter), Heterofullerenes (carbon replaced with heteroatoms), Metallofullerenes (metal inside cage), Linked Dimers (connected buckyballs).
List key physical properties of fullerene.
Varies with temperature and pressure, Electron affinity: 2.6–2.8 eV, Ionization enthalpy: 7.61 eV, Shows chirality and ferromagnetism.
What are the chemical characteristics of fullerene?
Acts as an electrophile and oxidizing agent, stable but chemically active, soluble in organic solvents, shows superconductivity when doped.
How is fullerene separated from soot after production?
Fullerene is extracted using solvents like toluene or benzene, then purified by chromatography.
What are some uses of fullerenes?
Drug delivery, cancer therapy, antimicrobial agents, gas absorption, conductivity, photovoltaic cells, cosmetics.
What type of bonds are present in fullerene molecules, and how are the carbon atoms connected?
Single and double bonds forming a conjugated π-electron system over fused rings.
In what way does fullerene differ from graphite and diamond structurally?
Fullerene has closed, cage-like structures, unlike the planar sheets of graphite or the rigid lattice of diamond.
What is chirality in fullerenes and which structural feature causes it?
Chirality arises due to asymmetrical atomic arrangements, especially in molecules with D2 symmetry.
Compare buckyballs and carbon nanotubes in terms of structure and application.
Buckyballs are spherical, used in drug delivery and catalysis; nanotubes are cylindrical, used in electronics and structural materials.
What makes fullerene suitable for photodynamic therapy?
It can absorb light and transfer energy to oxygen, forming reactive species that induce cell death in targeted cells.
