C3.8 Fullerenes and Graphene Flashcards
What are fullerenes?
The general name for all the hollow-shaped molecules of carbon.
What are the properties of cylindrical fullerenes?
These fullerenes form incredibly thin cylinders which have a greater length than their diameter.
They have high tensile strength (which makes them useful for reinforcing composite materials), such as those used in making tennis rackets.
They also have high electrical conductivity and high thermal conductivity (as their bonding is like the bonding in graphite, giving them delocalised electrons which makes them useful for the electronics industry).
What is graphene?
A single sheet of carbon atoms from graphite, would give you a layer of inter-locking hexagonal rings of carbon atoms.
What uses are there for graphene?
Graphene is an excellent conductor of thermal energy and electricity, has a very low density, and pieces of it are incredibly strong for their mass.
What other items could it benefit?
Graphene can be laid on a solid support and could one day be used to make quicker and more powerful computer chips. Its first large-scale application is likely to be in flexible electronics displays.