FullerenesOxford AQA IGCSE Chemistry: Revision notes
Section 1
What are fullerenes?
Fullerenes are another allotrope of carbon (like diamond and graphite). They are molecules made of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal rings, forming hollow shapes such as spheres, ellipsoids or tubes. Different fullerenes contain different numbers of carbon atoms.
Section 2
Nanotubes — a type of fullerene
Nanotubes are fullerenes shaped like very thin, hollow cylinders (tubes) of carbon. Their high length-to-diameter ratio and strong covalent bonding make them extremely strong for their mass, so they are used to reinforce materials such as tennis rackets.
Section 3
What are fullerenes used for?
Fullerenes have a range of uses because of their unusual hollow, cage-like or tubular structures:
- Drug delivery into the body — molecules can be trapped inside the hollow cage and released in the body
- Lubricants — spherical fullerenes can act like tiny ball bearings
- Catalysts — a large surface area on which reactions can take place, sometimes with a catalyst molecule attached inside the cage
- Nanotubes for reinforcing materials, e.g. in tennis rackets, because of their strength
Carbon nanotubes are mixed into the composite material of some tennis racket frames to make them stronger without adding much mass.
Must Know
- Fullerenes are an allotrope of carbon based on hexagonal rings of carbon atoms
- They form hollow structures — spheres, ellipsoids, or tubes
- Nanotubes are a tube-shaped type of fullerene, used to reinforce materials (e.g. tennis rackets) due to their strength
- Uses of fullerenes: drug delivery, lubricants, catalysts, and reinforcing nanotubes
- Different fullerenes contain different numbers of carbon atoms
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