Metallic Conduction in the Crystal Compounds of Graphite

Abstract

A MARKED increase of electrical conductance on forming crystal compounds of graphite with bromine, and even more with alkali metals such as potassium, has been previously attributed to electron transfer between the carbon hexagon networks, acting as amphoteric macro-aromatic molecules, and the intercalated atoms¹. It was further suggested that the bonds between these macro-aromatic molecules and atoms such as potassium were metallic in character. Existing evidence indicated that electron transfer is less complete than when salts are formed with systems more strongly electro-negative than the carbon macromolecules (cf. also ref. 2). However, development of this interpretation has been hindered by the need to experiment with polycrystalline graphite, either as powder or in compacted forms³.