Molecules and Materials

Chapter 8

Active fields in modern chemical include both computational modeling of

bonds and experimental efforts to manipulate individual bonds highly
selectively.
 Atomic/Molecular arrangements in
solids
On the basis of atoms or molecules are arranged into a
solid, there are two broad categories.
• Crystalline Many substances assume regular, repeating
geometric arrangements and are referred to as
crystalline structures.
• Amorphous Other substances solidify into random
arrangements, known as amorphous structures.
Though both categories include important examples,
much more is known about crystalline materials simply
because their regular periodic arrays can be studied
much more easily with available experimental tools.
Allotropy
?
Allotropic forms of Carbon
Graphite Shafts more expensive than steel and less durable. The
lighter weight provides greater swing speed for more power, but it
sacrifices control due to the flex generated during the swing. ... They
weigh between 50-85 grams, while their steel counterparts generally
start at 120 grams.
 Lonsdaleite, also called hexagonal diamond in
reference to the crystal structure, is an
allotrope of carbon with a hexagonal lattice. In
nature, it forms when meteorites containing
graphite strike the Earth.

The diamond structure can be considered to

be made up of interlocking rings of six carbon
atoms, in the chair conformation.
... Lonsdaleite is simulated to be 58% harder
than diamond, and to resist pressures of 152
GPa, whereas diamond would break at 97 GPa.