Ask A Scientist Chemistry Archive

(Created prior to 1993)

Question: What is the biggest molecule known to man?
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A very interesting question....I would say that the largest 
molecule is probably a sheet of graphite, which is a two-dimensional sheet of 
covalently bonded carbon atoms.  Of course, some proteins are pretty huge 
also.  Then there is diamond, which is a 3D covalently bonded network of 
carbon atoms.  The fact that diamond is a gigantic molecule is what gives it 
its unique properties.
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