Fullerenes

Another type of carbon was found by Kroto and Smalley, which they called fullerenes after Richard Buckminster Fuller.  

Fullerenes are caged molecules formed uniquely from carbon (figure 9). 

Figure 9. Fullerenes (C₁₄₀, C₂₆₀, C₂₆₀, C₉₆₀)

A theory by Euler was used to show that a caged molecule with hexagonal and pentagonal faces must have twelve pentagonal faces exactly but the number of hexagonal faces can be different. Chemists used the distance between the two pentagonal faces to estimate the size of the fullerenes. These fullerenes were discovered in 1985 and after solid phase research they have been found in geological material and in the flames of candles. Members of the scientific community are researching fullerenes and nanotubes as it is thought that nanotechnology could drastically change the way of life.

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Samantha Shanley, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol