Question map
Which of the following statements is correct?
Explanation
Fullerenes are a unique class of carbon allotropes characterized by their closed-cage structures [4]. The most well-known fullerene, C60 (Buckminsterfullerene), consists of carbon atoms arranged in a soccer-ball shape [6]. Statement 1 is incorrect because fullerenes must contain pentagonal rings (typically 12) in addition to hexagonal rings to allow the structure to curve into a closed cage [5]. Statement 3 is incorrect because graphite, not diamond, is the thermodynamically most stable allotrope of carbon at standard temperature and pressure [4]. Statement 4 is incorrect because while graphite is indeed slippery and used as a dry lubricant due to its layered structure, it is physically soft, not hard [2]. Therefore, the only accurate description is that fullerenes are cage-like molecules [4].
Sources
- [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Carbon and its Compounds > Allotropes of carbon > p. 61
- [3] https://als.lbl.gov/a-fullerene-that-breaks-the-rules/
- [4] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4313690/
- [6] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/fullerene
- [5] https://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/local/projects/unwin/Fullerenes.html
- [2] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals > Table 3.1 > p. 40