The molecule was given the name Buckminsterfullerene in honour of architect R. Buckminster Fuller, the inventor of the geodesic dome, and a founder in the studies of polygonal structures (3).
Buckyball is an acronym for the 60-carbon alkene Buckminsterfullerene, a new form of carbon.
Up until its discovery in 1985, six crystalline forms of the element carbon were known namely two
kinds of graphite, two kinds of diamond, chaoit and carbon VI (1). A Buckminsterfullerene
belongs to a family of molecules called fullerenes, which are a family of highly symmetrical carbon
caged molecules made up of 60 carbon atoms, C60 (2). This produces a structure containing 60
chemically equivalent vertices that are connected by 32 faces, 12 of which are pentagonal and 20
hexagonal, otherwise known as a soccer ball (3).
The molecule was given the name
Buckminsterfullerene in honour of architect R. Buckminster Fuller, the inventor of the geodesic
dome, and a founder in the studies of polygonal structures (3).
Buckyballs were discovered by Professors Richard E. Smalley and Robert F. Curl, Jr., of Rice University, Houston, USA, and Professor Sir Harold W. Kroto, of the University of Sussex, Brighton, U.K., while performing experiments aimed at understanding the mechanisms by which long-chain carbon-nitrogen molecules (cyanopolyynes) are formed in interstellar space (3).
At first, the molecule was a mystery, and reproducing it an even greater task. This is why the 1990 contribution of W. Krätschmer and D. R. Huffman is so important (2). They discovered an inexpensive and efficient method to produce Buckminsterfullerenes. Instead of looking at the interstellar space, or studying some mass spectra, we can grab the material and look at it with "table top" experiments. When a convenient way of producing C60 was discovered, it prompted interest by chemists, physicists, and material scientists to uncover the molecule's secrets. Investigators soon discovered other "fullerenes" as small as C28 and as large as a postulated C240 (4).
The fullerenes (C60 and other relatives) are remarkable molecules in that they are exceedingly rugged, very stable, and capable of surviving the temperatures of extreme outer space. They can survive collisions with metals and other materials at speeds in excess of 32,000 kilometres per hour, a speed that would tear most organic molecules apart (5).
These unusual molecules turn out to have extraordinary chemical and physical properties. They react with elements from across the periodic table and with the chemical species known as free radicals - key to the polymerization processes widely used in industry (4). When a fullerene is "doped" by inserting just the right amount of potassium or cesium into empty spaces within the crystal, it becomes a superconductor - the best organic superconductor known to Man. These superconducting Buckyballs have the highest critical temperature of any known organic compound, withstanding temperatures up to 18K (5). More important, because C60 is a relatively simple system, it may help physicists master the still mysterious theory of high-temperature superconductivity.
Speculation and some hard work on potential applications began almost immediately after the discovery of Buckyballs (4). Applications of interest to industry include optical devices, chemical sensors and chemical separation devices, production of diamonds and carbides as cutting tools or hardening agents, batteries and other electrochemical applications, including hydrogen storage media, drug delivery systems and other medical applications, polymers, such as new plastics, and catalysts.
Catalysts, in fact, appear to be a natural application for fullerenes, given their combination of rugged structure and high reactivity. Experiments suggest that fullerenes which incorporate alkali metals possess catalytic properties resembling those of platinum (4).
The C60 molecule can also absorb large numbers of hydrogen atoms, almost one hydrogen for each carbon, without disrupting the Buckyball structure. This property suggests that fullerenes may be a better storage medium for hydrogen than metal hydrides, the best current material, hence possibly a key factor in the development of new batteries and even of non-polluting automobiles based on fuel cells (4).
A thin layer of the C70 fullerene, when deposited on a silicon chip, provides a vastly improved template for growing thin films of diamond (4).
Early indications show that Buckyballs may represent a technological bonanza when their
properties are fully understood. As the 21st-century physicist Michael Faraday said, when asked
about the usefulness of electricity: "But who knows, what is a newbom baby good for?" (1). Yet it
is important to note that the discovery of this curious molecule and its cousins was made in the
course of experiments aimed at understanding how long chain molecules are formed in outer
space. It is a strong reminder that fundamental science is often the source of advanced technology
in ways that are completely unpredictable.
References
See the other Winning Essay in nomination of this molecule.
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