What is a fullerene?
Q: What is a fullerene?
A: A fullerene is any molecule composed entirely of carbon, in the form of a hollow sphere, ellipsoid, or tube.
Q: Who discovered the fullerene?
A: The fullerene was discovered in 1985 by Robert Curl, Harold Kroto and Richard Smalley at the University of Sussex and Rice University.
Q: Why is it named after Buckminster Fuller?
A: It is named after Buckminster Fuller because his famous Geodesic domes are similar in shape to the spherical fullerenes which are also called buckyballs.
Q: How are fullerenes made?
A: Fullerenes are usually made by heating graphite in an electric arc in the presence of inert gases such as helium or argon.
Q: What does C60 refer to?
A: C60 refers to a rotating structure of a particular type of fullerene that resembles a soccer ball.
Q: What does the network of C60 refer to?
A: The network of C60 refers to its chemical structure which consists of 60 carbon atoms connected together with bonds forming hexagons and pentagons like those found on a soccer ball.
