Understanding Stone-Wales Transformations in Carbon Molecules
By
chmaynard
Kettled twice. Extra chewy, extra trustworthy.
Summary
The article discusses Stone-Wales transformations in carbon molecules like buckminsterfullerene and graphene, explaining how a 90° rotation in a π bond between carbon atoms leads to structural changes in these molecules.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledBuckminsterfullerene is a molecule shaped like a soccer ball, made of 60 carbon atoms.
Here’s how it works in graphene:
When they undergo a Stone–Wales transformation, we get a Stone–Wales defect with two pentagons and two heptagons, like this:
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