Is there any molecules in which you can bond 1000 of one element, or even a million?

Question

How about a billion atoms bonded together?
If there is what is the name?
Please be serious.

Answer 1

There are be a million billions molecules of one billion atoms in a mol, so we still are talking about relatively small shapes in a macro scale.

Carbon is the best candidate for such molecules, although boron or alternating boron-nitrogen-based molecules can grow big, too.

Silicon can be forced into chain molecules or layer molecules with either oxygen or hydrogen as main bonding partners. Sulphur and phosphorous have element modifications which can be regarded as big molecules.

Someone already mentioned diamonds, which are covalent bound single crystals of carbon. 0.12 grams of diamond still are 6*10^21 atoms. Polyethylene molecules may easily reach 1000 carbon atoms in sequence.

The problem with molecules of this size is that they become quasi-solid or real solids, which makes their applicability in nature unlikely. If you regard a layer in a graphite crystal as one molecule, you can have all manner of polycyclical flat carbon molecules.

Answer 2

Yup, many carbon compounds are like this, graphite and diamonds for example. They form large networks of covalent bonds.

Graphite forms flat sheets of carbon while diamond is from a special arrangement of tetrahedral bonded carbon atoms (this shape gives diamond its popularly known strength).

To Abby:

He said one "molecule" with one element in it with 1000 bonds. Did you not read the question? Look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_nanotube for just one of many examples. Or pyrolytic carbon which has many medical applications. Many ploymers reach a huge atomic mass with a huge number of bonds.

Yes carbon only makes 4 bonds, thats drilled into the head of any organic chem student on day one. Dosn't mean it can bond 4 other carbon atoms and these in turn bond 4 others etc etc etc etc.....

Answer 3

No.

Seriously.

Highest number of bonds on each atom: 4.

However, they can LINK with each other, such that as each carbon needs 4 bonds, it can form =C=C=C=C=C=C=C=. While each carbon only has 4 bonds, this chain can continue on for as long as possible. 10 atoms cannot bond together (can be linked), let alone a billion.

Answer 4

Coal is basically many carbon atoms joined together. A lump of coal is really a giant molecule.

Answer 5

Diamonds

Answer 6

tera atoms