Synonyms
Definition
Amorphous carbon is a noncrystalline solid allotropic form of carbon. There is no long-range order in the positions of the carbon atoms, but some short-range order is observed. Chemical bonds among atoms are a mixture of sp2- and sp3-hybridized bonds with a high concentration of dangling bonds. Because amorphous carbon is thermodynamically in a metastable state and the ratio of sp2- and sp3-hybridized bonds is variable, the properties of amorphous carbon vary greatly depending on the formation methods and conditions (Silva and Ravi 2003). Amorphous carbon is often abbreviated as “a-C.”
Overview
In the laboratory, amorphous carbon can be produced by physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, sputtering, and ion irradiation of diamond or graphite. The structure of amorphous carbon has been analyzed by X-ray and electron diffraction methods. The ratio of sp2- and sp3-hybridized bonds can be determined by electron energy loss...
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References and Further Reading
Blanco A et al (1990) Amorphous carbon and carbonaceous materials in space II.-Astrophysical implications. Nuovo Cimento C 13:241–247
Brearley AJ (2008) Amorphous carbon-rich grains in the matrices of the primitive carbonaceous chondrites, ALH77307 and Acfer 094. Lunar Planet Sci XXXIX:1494
Gail H-P, Sedlmayr E (1984) Formation of crystalline and amorphous carbon grains. Astron Astrophys 132:163–167
Greenberg JM (1998) Making a comet nucleus. Astron Astrophys 330:375–380
Kouchi A et al (2005) Novel routes for diamond formation in interstellar ices and meteoritic parent bodies. Astrophys J 626:L129–L132
Matrajt G et al (2008) Carbon investigation of two Stardust particles: a TEM, NanoSIMS, and XANES study. Meteor Planet Sci 43:315–334
Muñoz Caro GM et al (2006) Nature and evolution of the dominant carbonaceous matter in interplanetary dust particles: effects of irradiation and identification with a type of amorphous carbon. Astron Astrophys 459:147–159
Silva S, Ravi P (eds) (2003) Properties of amorphous carbon, institution of engineering and technology. INSPEC, London
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Kouchi, A. (2014). Amorphous Carbon. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_70-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_70-2
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