Allotropes of carbon
Allotropes of carbon
Graphite
Diamond
Fullerene
Carbon is present in more than 95% of all the known chemical compounds.
This flexibility of carbon is due to its unique ability to bind to almost all of the elements, with unlimited structural variety.
Therefore, carbon-containing compounds possess a wide range of structural motifs and different physicochemical properties.
Carbon allows a wide range of orbital hybridization (sp, sp2, and sp3) which enables covalent bonds to a number of different other elements but also to other carbon atoms.
Diamond: In diamond the C atom is bonded to four other carbon atoms forming a rigid 3-D structure.
Graphite: In graphite the C atom is bonded to 3 other C atoms in a same plane giving a hexagonal structure.
Fullerene: Carbon atoms are arranged in a shape of a football.