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Buckminsterfullerene (or buckyball) is a spherical fullerene molecule with the formula C60. It has a cage-like fused-ring structure (Truncated icosahedron) which resembles a soccer ball, made of twenty hexagons and twelve pentagons, with a carbon atom at each vertex of each polygon and a bond along each polygon edge.
It was first intentionally prepared in 1985 by Harold Kroto, James R. Heath, Sean O'Brien, Robert Curl and Richard Smalley at Rice University. Kroto, Curl and Smalley were awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their roles in the discovery of buckminsterfullerene and the related class of molecules, the fullerenes. The name is a homage to Buckminster Fuller, as C60 resembles his trademark geodesic domes. Buckminsterfullerene is the most commonly naturally occurring fullerene molecule, as it can be found in small quantities in soot. Solid and gaseous forms of the molecule have been detected in deep space.
Buckminsterfullerene is the largest matter to have been shown to exhibit wave-particle duality. Its discovery led to the exploration of a new field of chemistry, involving the study of fullerenes.
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Is Fullerene a crystalline or an amorphous allotrope?
Buckminsterfullerence is an crystalline allotrope of carbon containing clusters of 60 carbon atoms joined together to form sperical molecules
Why is buckminsterfullerene more soluble than diamond?
Carbon in diamond is sp3 hybridized. Every carbon atom is cross-linked in a covalent network. Carbon in fullerenes in sp2 hybridized. The individual buckyballs are soluble as they are not covalently linked to each other. The old axiom of like dissolves like holds. C60 is soluble in a number of nonpolar solvents, such as benzene, toluene, or chloroform.
What is another name for buckminsterfullerence?
the buckyball the buckyball
Is Fullerene a crystalline or an amorphous allotrope?
Buckminsterfullerence is an crystalline allotrope of carbon containing clusters of 60 carbon atoms joined together to form sperical molecules
What is C60 carbon?
C60 carbon, also known as Buckminsterfullerene or buckyball, is a molecule composed of 60 carbon atoms arranged in a hollow sphere. It is a type of fullerene and is known for its unique structure and potential applications in nanotechnology and medicinal chemistry.
Why is buckminsterfullerene more soluble than diamond?
Carbon in diamond is sp3 hybridized. Every carbon atom is cross-linked in a covalent network. Carbon in fullerenes in sp2 hybridized. The individual buckyballs are soluble as they are not covalently linked to each other. The old axiom of like dissolves like holds. C60 is soluble in a number of nonpolar solvents, such as benzene, toluene, or chloroform.
