Title: hexagonal graphite
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - hexagonal graphite
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.H02818
Status: current

Definition
The thermodynamically stable form of graphite with an ABAB stacking sequence of the graphene layers. The exact crystallographic description of this allotropic form is given by the space group \(d_{6h}^{4} - P6_{3}/\rm{mmc}\) (unit cell constants: \(a=245.6\ \mathrm{pm}\), \(c=670.8\ \mathrm{pm}\)). Hexagonal graphite is thermodynamically stable below approximately \(2600\ \rm{K}\) and \(6\ \rm{GPa}\).

Note
The use of the term graphite instead of the more exact term hexagonal graphite may be tolerated in view of the minor importance of rhombohedral graphite, the other allotropic form.

Related Terms
- graphene layers: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/G02683
- graphite: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/G02684
- rhombohedral graphite: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/R05385
- sequence: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/ST06775
- stable: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/S05900
- unit cell: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/U06562

Source
- PAC, 1995, 67, 473. 'Recommended terminology for the description of carbon as a solid (IUPAC Recommendations 1995)' on page 494 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199567030473)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/H02818/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/H02818/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/H02818/xml

Citation: Citation: 'hexagonal graphite' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.H02818
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Accessed: 2025-11-15T04:22:03+00:00