Allotropes of carbon

Allotropes of carbon are distinct structures made solely from carbon atoms. Their different bonding patterns and arrangements produce properties ranging from diamond’s hardness to graphite’s electrical conductivity.

Carbon: Carbon is a chemical element with atomic number 6 that forms stable bonds with many elements and with itself. Its ability to form several strong bonds enables the structural diversity of its allotropes.
Diamond: Diamond is a crystalline form of carbon in which each atom bonds tetrahedrally to four neighbors. Its rigid three-dimensional covalent network makes diamond exceptionally hard.
Natural diamond: Natural diamond is diamond formed by geological processes and found in the Earth’s crust or mantle-derived rocks. It was long known as a rare mineral before its elemental composition was established.
Diamond anvil cell: A diamond anvil cell uses opposed diamond tips to generate extreme pressures in a tiny sample. Diamond’s hardness and transparency make it useful for studying matter at high pressure.
Chemical bond: A chemical bond is an attraction that holds atoms together through shared or transferred electrons. Different carbon allotropes arise from different patterns of bonding between carbon atoms.
Graphite: Graphite is a crystalline form of carbon made of stacked sheets of hexagonally arranged atoms. Its strongly bonded sheets slide easily and conduct electricity along their planes.
Carbon nanotube: A carbon nanotube is a cylindrical nanostructure formed from one or more rolled graphene sheets. Its identification established a tubular form among nanoscale carbon structures.
Diamond cutting tool: A diamond cutting tool uses diamond particles or edges to machine hard materials. Diamond’s hardness makes it effective for abrasive and precision cutting applications.
Hybrid orbitals: Hybrid orbitals are mathematical combinations of atomic orbitals used to describe bonding directions in molecules and solids. The sp³, sp², and sp bonding descriptions distinguish common carbon frameworks.
Graphene: Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice. It isolates one of graphite’s conducting, mechanically strong atomic sheets.

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