Trystan Casey
Carbon is a non-metal and therefore does not have metallic properties such as a sea of electrons that allow electrons to pass through metals. However, carbon is the only non-metal that can conduct electricity when it is graphite. Graphite is a stack of planar sheets with delocalized electrons, making it an excellent conductor in two dimensions. CNTs and graphene are also excellent conductors, albeit directionally, and can be used in conductive cables. The electrical wiring industry is interested in carbon-based materials as they have the potential to replace metals in some applications.
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What You'll Learn
Carbon is a non-metal
Carbon is abundant in the Earth's crust and is the first member of Group 14 in the periodic table, also known as the Carbon family. It is the basis of all known life on Earth and plays a role in organic compounds. Carbon's unique properties, including its ability to form allotropes, make it a versatile and important element.
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Graphite is a good conductor
Carbon is a nonmetal and does not typically display metallic properties such as conductivity. However, graphite, a particular form of carbon with hexagonal crystallinity, is an excellent conductor of electricity. This is because graphite's carbon atoms have a free electron that is delocalized, allowing it to carry a current.
Graphite's structure is composed of layers of carbon atoms that are weakly bonded together. This gives graphite its distinctive softness and slipperiness, as well as its self-lubricating properties. These weak bonds also enable graphite to act as a good conductor of electricity.
The carbon atoms in graphite have four electrons in their outer shells. Three of these electrons form strong covalent bonds with other carbon atoms, while the fourth electron remains free. This free electron is delocalized, meaning it can move freely along the layers of graphite. The ability of this electron to move freely is what allows graphite to conduct electricity effectively.
The delocalized electron in graphite's structure is comparable to the "sea of electrons" found in metals, which facilitates the flow of electrons and electrical charge. This unique property of graphite makes it a valuable material in various applications, including electrochemistry and nuclear reactors.
Graphite's conductivity is further enhanced by the aromatic nature of its layers. In graphite, the atoms in a single layer have alternating single and double bonds, strengthening the structure and facilitating the movement of electrons. This alternating bond structure is not present in other carbon allotropes like diamonds, which are insulators due to the absence of free electrons.
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Diamond is an insulator
Diamond, one of the hardest known naturally occurring materials, is an electrical insulator. It is a form of carbon with each atom covalently bonded to four neighbouring carbon atoms. This crystal structure, known as diamond cubic, is responsible for the strength and unique properties of diamonds.
Diamonds are classified into four main types based on the nature of crystallographic defects present. These defects, along with trace impurities that substitute carbon atoms, are responsible for the variety of colours seen in diamonds. Most diamonds are electrical insulators, but they are also extremely efficient thermal conductors. This is due to the strong covalent bonding and low phonon scattering within the crystal structure.
The thermal conductivity of natural diamond is approximately 2,200 W/(m·K), which is five times higher than silver, the most thermally conductive metal. The high thermal conductivity of diamonds is a result of the relatively large mean free path of phonons, which allows for efficient heat transport.
While diamonds are typically electrical insulators, recent research has discovered a way to alter their electronic properties. By subjecting diamonds to large strains, they can be transformed from insulating to semiconducting or even highly conductive metallic states. This transformation is reversible and does not degrade the diamond material.
At the nanoscale, diamonds exhibit a property known as bandgap, which determines the ease of electron movement through the material. A wide bandgap, such as the 5.47 eV bandgap of diamonds, indicates that it is a strong electrical insulator as electrons do not move through it easily. However, researchers have found that the bandgap can be modified, allowing for a range of electrical properties.
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Carbon nanotubes conduct electricity
Carbon nanotubes are cylindrical molecules made from carbon atoms joined together by covalent bonds. They are a form of graphite, which is a well-known electrical conductor. The electrical properties of carbon nanotubes depend on their diameter and the amount of twist in their lattice structure.
Carbon nanotubes can be metallic or semiconducting. A nanotube is metallic if the energy level that allows delocalized electrons to flow between atoms throughout the nanotube (the conduction band) is right above the energy level used by electrons attached to atoms (the valence band). In a metallic nanotube, electrons can easily move to the conduction band, allowing the flow of electricity. A nanotube is semiconducting if there is an energy gap between the valence band and the conduction band. In this case, additional energy is needed for an electron to jump the gap and move to the conduction band.
About one-third of zigzag and chiral nanotubes have metallic properties, while the rest (around two-thirds) have semiconducting properties. Armchair nanotubes, on the other hand, are always metallic. When connected to different voltages at each end, a metallic carbon nanotube conducts electricity, just like a wire. Applying a negative voltage at one end and a positive voltage at the other causes electrons to flow toward the positive voltage. To get electrons to flow through a semiconducting carbon nanotube, additional energy, such as light, is needed.
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Carbon-based electrical conductors
Carbon is a non-metal and therefore does not have metallic properties such as a "sea of electrons" that allow electrons to pass through metals. However, carbon-based materials can be electrical conductors. For example, graphite is a good electrical conductor due to its layered structure and delocalized electrons.
Graphite is a stack of planar sheets where three of the valence electrons are used in covalent bonds, and the remaining one is free to move around and carry a current. This gives graphite excellent conductivity in the two dimensions of these sheets, but perpendicular to them, it performs much worse.
Carbon nanotubes can also conduct electricity very well. In combination with graphene-based conductors, they have reached the electrical properties of their metal counterparts while offering advantages such as lower weight, high mechanical strength, sensing properties, and resistance to extreme conditions.
Carbon-based conductors have attracted growing interest due to the prospect of replacing metals in electronic and electrical wiring applications. These carbon-based assemblies contain nanocarbons with a smaller length/size compared to metal conductors.
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Frequently asked questions
No, carbon is the only non-metal that can conduct electricity, but only when it is graphite.
Graphite has a layered structure with hexagonal planes of carbon atoms. Three of the four valence electrons are used in covalent bonds, and the fourth electron is free to move along the layers when a voltage is applied, carrying a current.
Examples of carbon-based conductors include carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, and graphite. These materials have been investigated for their potential use in electronic and electrical wiring applications as an alternative to traditional metal conductors.
