General Data on Carbon Allotropes

Abstract

Carbon, the 6th element in the periodic table denoted by the letter “C” and true element of life, provides the chemical basis for life on Earth due to its ability to form stable bonds with other carbon atoms, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and many other elements in Mendeleev’s Periodic Table. Carbon is found almost everywhere, and it is one of the most abundant materials on earth. It is the 4th most common element in the universe and 15th most common on earth’s crust. All life on Earth contains various forms of carbonic structures, from proteins to the tallest trees [1]. Existence of a host of carbon inorganic forms is the also responsibility of stable single and multiple carbon-carbon covalent bonds. This process is called catenation, in which an element can bond with itself to form long chains. During much time, only two conventional carbon allotropes, graphite (black, soft, and conductive) and diamond (shiny, transparent, and extremely hard), have been known. Only in the last few decades have new synthetic carbon allotropes such as carbon nanotubes, fullerenes (buckminsterfullerene C60, smaller and higher fullerenes), and graphene been discovered. Their outstanding properties, current and potential applications, testify their unique scientific and technological importance [2]. In addition, a host of other carbon structures, both obtained and still predicted, have been reported up to date.