Why does fullerene conduct electricity

Nanotubes have high tensile strength , so they are strong in tension and resist being stretched. Like graphene, nanotubes are strong, and they conduct electricity because they have delocalised electrons. Buckyballs are spheres or squashed spheres of carbon atoms. The strong covalent bonds between the carbon atoms mean that graphene:. Like graphite, graphene conducts electricity well because it has delocalised electrons that are free to move across its surface.

These properties make graphene useful in electronics and for making composites. Fullerenes are molecules of carbon atoms with hollow shapes. Their structures are based on hexagonal rings of carbon atoms joined by covalent bonds. Some fullerenes include rings with five or seven carbon atoms. These free moving electrons are responsible for the conduction of electricity in a graphite crystal. Yes, Buckminister fullerene is a good conductor of electricity. If we look at the structure of fullerene carefully, each carbon atom forms covalent bonds with 3 other carbon atoms.

This means for every carbon Atom, there will be one free-moving electron moving about the structure. This would suggest that C60 is paramagnetic and perhaps a conductor of electricity. In fact C60 is diamagnetic no unpaired electrons and does not conduct electricity. Presence of free electrons contributes to the conduting electricity. Though the free electrons are present in the molecules of Buckminsterfullerene they are held by vanderwalls forces. Hence their movement is inhibited.

Its molecules are made up of 60 carbon atoms joined together by strong covalent bonds. Molecules of C 60 are spherical. There are weak intermolecular forces between molecules of buckminsterfullerene. These need little energy to overcome, so buckminsterfullerene is slippery and has a low melting point.

The first fullerene was discovered in by Sir Harold W. The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded today to two Americans and one British researcher for their discovery of fullerenes, a new class of all-carbon molecules shaped like hollow balls.

The researchers, Richard E. Smalley and Robert F. Each layer is a giant structure, with weak forces of attraction between the layers. These layers can easily slide over each other.

Graphite is soft and slippery because it has weak forces of attraction between layers. It is used as a lubricant and in pencils because it is soft and slippery.

C 60 fullerene also known as a buckyball is also made of only carbon atoms, but it forms molecules of 60 carbon atoms.