What is the difference between fullerene and a nanotube

All three carbon modifications indeed contain covalently bond carbon atoms. It is the geometric arrangement of the atoms that differentiates the modifications: Stacked planes in graphite, fullerenes: ball-shaped molecules hence the name buckyball , and for carbon nanotubes, the name is quite self-explanatory.

Structure and bonding is interconnected, there is not such thing as "only structural differences". Carbon has many allotropes, including graphite and diamond. You can say they just differ in structure, yet, this difference leads to a metallic sheet in the case of graphite, and an insulating 3D structure in the case of diamond. Specifically, e. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group.

Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. What's the difference between graphite, nanotubes, and fullerenes? Like graphite, graphene conducts electricity well because it has delocalised electrons that are free to move through its structure. Fullerenes are forms of carbon, and include nanotubes and buckyballs. A nanotube resembles a layer of graphene, rolled into a tube shape. Nanotubes have high tensile strength , so they are strong in tension and resist being stretched.

Advanced search. Skip to main content Thank you for visiting nature. Atom RSS Feed Carbon nanotubes and fullerenes Definition Carbon nanotubes and fullerenes are allotropes of carbon characterized by a hollow structure and extraordinary thermal, electrical and mechanical properties.

Latest Research and Reviews Research 02 November Open Access Superior operational stability of immobilized l -asparaginase over surface-modified carbon nanotubes Mafalda R. Almeida , Raquel O. Silva Scientific Reports 11 , Research 22 September Open Access Chemical shielding of H 2 O and HF encapsulated inside a C 60 cage The chemical nature of molecules encapsulated within fullerenes remain debated, with reports proposing a Faraday cage effect.

Communications Chemistry 4 , Nature Electronics 4 , Research Highlights 23 June Buckling a belt under strain An article in the Journal of the American Chemical Society reports the large-scale synthesis of an elongated carbon nanobelt with unusual host-guest behaviour. Nature Reviews Materials 6 , Nature Chemistry 13 , Nature Electronics 3 ,