An allotropic form of the element carbon consisting of layers of hexagonally arranged carbon atoms in a planar condensed ring system graphene layers The layers are stacked parallel to each other in a three-dimensional crystalline long-range order. There are two allotropic forms with different stacking arrangements, hexagonal and rhombohedral. The chemical bonds within the layers are covalent with sp2 hybridization and with a C–C distance of 141.7 pm. The weak bonds between the layers are metallic with a strength comparable to van der Waals bonding only.
Note:
The term graphite is also used often but incorrectly to describe @G02687@, i.e. materials consisting of @G02689@ made from carbon materials by processing to temperatures greater than 2500 K, even though no perfect graphite structure is present.
Source:
PAC, 1995, 67, 473. 'Recommended terminology for the description of carbon as a solid (IUPAC Recommendations 1995)' on page 491 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199567030473)