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Can solid carbon materials be lighter than water and air?

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Abstract

The number of possible hollow carbon molecules with a spatially closed structure is theoretically unlimited. Only a few have been studied up to now, mainly with relative small radiuses. If the structure is big enough, spatially closed, hollow, spherical, and with a monolayer shell, it will have a considerable elevating force when immersed in liquids or gases. Calculations demonstrate that it can be lighter than liquids and air when the molecule is over a certain size. Hollow multilayered carbon structures with such radiuses have already been reported. Development of new methods for synthesis of closed carbon molecules where the shell is reduced to a single layer will allow designing new materials, which are lighter than gases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Central Laboratory for Solar Energy and New Energy Sources, 72 Tzarigradsko Shaussee, 1784, Sofia, Bulgaria

    N. Koprinarov & M. Konstantinova

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  1. N. Koprinarov
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  2. M. Konstantinova
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Correspondence to N. Koprinarov.

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Koprinarov, N., Konstantinova, M. Can solid carbon materials be lighter than water and air?. J Nanopart Res 9, 939–944 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-007-9229-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-007-9229-3

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