Fullerenes And Graphene STRUCTURE AND BONDING Flashcards
What are fullerenes?
Carbon structures. They join together to make large hollow cages.
What are the useful properties of cylindrical fullerenes (called carbon nanotubes)?
High tensile strength (used in tennis rackets)
High electrical conductivity and high thermal conductivity (die to delocalised electrons)
Why can fullerenes be used as catalysts?
The large surface area to volume ratio of their nanoparticles.
What is graphene?
If you could separate a single sheet of carbon atoms from graphite, you would get a layer of inter-locking hexagonal rings of carbon atoms. It is just one atom thick. This is called graphene.
What are the properties of graphene?
A good conductor of thermal energy and electricity.
Very low density.
Very strong for their mass.
What can graphene be used for?
Quick and powerful computer chips.
