The Carbon Encyclopedia
The hardest natural material. Each carbon atom bonded to four neighbors in a tetrahedral lattice.
sp3 hybridization
Layered hexagonal sheets weakly bonded by van der Waals forces. Excellent electrical conductor along planes.
sp2 hybridization
Spherical C60 molecule. 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons forming a soccer-ball structure.
C60 Buckminsterfullerene
Cylindrical carbon structures with extraordinary tensile strength. Single-wall and multi-wall variants.
~63 GPa tensile strength
Single-atom-thick sheet of carbon. 200x stronger than steel. Extraordinary thermal and electrical conductivity.
10^8 S/m conductivity
Disordered carbon without crystalline structure. Found in soot, coal, and activated carbon filters.
No long-range order
Biogeochemical cycle where carbon exchanges between atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living organisms.
~750 GtC atmosphere
Technologies for removing carbon dioxide from point sources or ambient air. Key to climate mitigation.
DAC: $300-600/tCO2
Radiocarbon dating using C-14 decay. Half-life of 5,730 years determines age of organic materials.
C-14 t1/2 = 5,730 yr