Buckminsterfullereno

Buckminsterfullereno, commonly known as Buckminsterfullerene or C60, is a spherical molecule composed entirely of carbon atoms arranged in a truncated icosahedron, resembling a soccer ball. It has 12 pentagonal and 20 hexagonal faces, 60 vertices and 90 edges, with a diameter of about 0.7 nanometers. Each carbon atom is sp2-hybridized, forming three covalent bonds and creating a highly symmetric carbon cage that can host atoms inside or be functionalized on the surface.

Buckminsterfullereno was discovered in 1985 by Harold Kroto, Robert Curl and Richard Smalley using laser vaporization of graphite to generate carbon clusters. The molecule was named after Buckminster Fuller, whose geodesic domes resemble its shape. The discovery expanded the known carbon allotropes beyond graphite and diamond and led to the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996 for Kroto, Curl and Smalley.

Fullerenes form a family that includes C60, C70 and larger spheres, as well as endohedral variants in which atoms are trapped inside the cage. Functionalization with various groups yields soluble derivatives and novel materials; alkali-metal-doped fullerenes (for example K3C60) exhibit superconductivity under certain conditions. Fullerenes are generally stable but can undergo reactions at the cage, producing epoxides and a range of adducts.

Production and applications: Buckminsterfullereno is produced in laboratory settings by methods such as arc discharge or laser ablation of graphite, followed by purification. In research and industry, fullerenes are explored for organic electronics, photovoltaics, catalysis, and medicine, where functionalized forms may be used for drug delivery or imaging. Ongoing studies continue to expand fullerene-based materials and nanostructures.