Thermal analysis of carbon allotropes: an experiment for advanced undergraduates

Advanced undergraduate chemistry students can be introduced to or gain some experience with thermogravimetric analyzers while comparing the reactivities, and empirical behavior of three carbon allotropes. The experiment involves the thermal analysis of C60, graphite and diamond. Students learn some of the fascinating properties of C60 while also discovering that C60 significantly differs in behavior from the other two allotropes, which have similar behaviors.