Graphenes and fullerenes

Question 1

Why is fullerene often used to reinforce sports equipments e.g. tennis rackets

Answer 1

It has a high tensile strength

Question 2

Why are fullerenes useful in electronics

Answer 2

Fullerenes can conduct electricity

Question 3

How are fullerenes used in drugs?

Answer 3

The carbon in fullerene is unreactive, so fullerene is used to cage drugs and deliver them tospecific parts of the body without harming other body cells

Question 4

Fullerenes have a large surface area:volume ratio, what does this mean for the uses of fullerenes?

Answer 4

They can be used as lubricants
or catalysts

Question 5

Name five uses of fullerenes

Answer 5

1) Industrial catalyst
2) Lubricant
3) Delivering drugs to specific parts of the body
4) Reinforcing sports equipment
5) Used in electronics

Question 6

Name four properties of fullerenes

Answer 6

1) Large surface area to volume ratio
2) Unreactive
3) High tensile strength
4) Conducts electricity

Question 7

Name four properties of graphene

Answer 7

1)Can conduct electricity
2)Flexible
3)Strong
4)Lightweight

Question 8

Name two uses of graphene

Answer 8

1) It is lightweight and strong, this makes it ideal for increasing the strength of composite materials without increasing the weight
2) It conducts electricity so is used to electrical appliances

Question 9

What are the uses of nanoparticles

Answer 9

1) To deliver drugs to specific parts of the body
2) To conduct electricity in electrical appliances
3) Suncreams
4) Industrial catalysts

Question 10

Why are nanoparticles useful as catalysts?

Answer 10

They have a large surface area to volume ratio

Question 11

What are the disadvantages of using nanoparticles in suncreams

Answer 11

There is a concern that the nanoparticles can be breathed in or enter cells and cause cell damage or other unpredictable results
More research needs to be done

Question 12

Why is it that only small amount of nanoparticles need to be used in industrycompared to other molecules?

Answer 12

Nanoparticles have a large surface area to volume ratio

Question 13

What are nanoparticles?

[2 marks]

Answer 13

Very tiny particles of 1-100nm in size
which are only a few hundred atoms in size

Question 14

Why is it less expensive to use nanoparticles as catalysts in industry?

[3 marks]

Answer 14

Nanoparticles have a large surface area to volume ratio

So less of the catalyst is required

And catalysts can be reused