Chemistry Unit 2 AQA GCSE: Giant Covalent Structures

Information about graphite, diamond, silicon dioxide and fullerenes

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  • Created by: Sinjini
  • Created on: 04-04-13 10:52
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  • Giant Covalent Structures
    • Diamond
      • Only made of carbon
      • Each carbon atom forms 4 covalent bond
      • Very rigid strucure
      • Properties
        • Very hard
        • Does not conduct Electricity
        • High melting/ boiling points
        • Not malleable
      • All of the bonds are directional (stress can break structure)
      • No electrons are free to move in the structure as all valence electrons are used in the bonding
    • Graphite
      • Only made of carbon
      • Layers are free to slide over one another (weak intermolecular forces between layers)
      • Each carbon atom has one delocalised electron
      • Properties
        • High melting/ boiling points
        • Soft and slippery
        • Conducts heat and electricity
      • The bonds are directional across the layers
    • Silicon Dioxide
      • Each grain of sand is one giant structure of silicon and oxygen
      • Properties
        • High melting/ boiling points
        • Doesn't conduct electricity
    • Allotrope: Structually different forms of the same element
    • Fullerenes
      • Structure is based on hexagonal rings of  a number of carbon atoms
      • Uses
        • Drug delivery into the body
        • In lubricats as catalysts
        • In nanotubes for reinforcing materials, eg in tennis rackets
      • Smallest fullerene has 60 carbon atoms and is known as Buckministerfullerene

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