Buckminsterfullerenes. See Fullerenes

The famous fullerene C Ih) (called buckminsterfullerene or soccer ball) has the skeleton of GC (Dodecahedron). GCpj(Dodecahedrori) constitute a particularly studied class of fullerenes (see [FoMa95, Diu03]). 

Recent work has indicated that Ni complexes can interact with buckminsterfullerene, Ceo, and related fullerenes see Carbon Fullerenesand Section 5.2). 

Polyhedral molecular geometries have made even the mass media recently with the discovery of buckminsterfullerene [3-17], (Figure 3-25), and especially with the whole new chemistry of the fullerenes (see, e.g., Ref [3-18]). Buckminsterfullerene was named Molecule of the Year in the December 20,1991, issue of Science magazine [3-19] while it was only the first runner-up the previous year [3-20]. Although even a runner-up status is of the highest prestige, in 1990 even the structural formula was drawn erroneously (cf Ref [3-21]), and buckminsterfullerene was referred to as a distant cousin of diamond [3-20]. By December, 1991, all this had changed, and the Science editorial [3-22] stated. 

Buckminsterfullerene (Chapter 11 essay Carbon Clusters Fullerenes and Nanotubes ) Name given to the Cgo cluster with structure resembling the geodesic domes of R Buck minster Fuller see front cover... 

As stated by Smalley, the name [fullerene] was bom in the dimmest early thinking of how a pure carbon cluster of 60 atoms could eliminate its dangling bonds (Billups and Ciufolini, 1993, foreword vi). In an effort to make clear the shape of the cluster, Smalley asked Kroto the name of the architect who worked with big domes. The answer was Buckminister Fuller. Carbon clusters of all sizes were subsequently named Buckminsterfullerenes, fullerenes, or sometimes buckyballs. A third allotrope of carbon had thus been added to the two (graphite and diamond) already known (see Figure 1). 

Since their discovery in 1985 [1] and subsequent isolation in macroscopic quantities [2], fullerenes and related forms of carbon such as nanotubes have been the subject of enormous numbers of both theoretical and experimental studies. This chapter describes a series of theoretical studies of fullerenes, concentrated on buckminsterfullerene, the original and still the most common form, which are tied together by an underlying valence bond picture of chemical structure. This work has attempted to identify characteristics of fullerenes which are more easily discerned in a valence bond than in a molecular orbital picture, and to see how far these valence bond ideas can be pushed before they break down. 

See, e g., H. W. Kroto, C60B Buckminsterfullerene, Other Fullerenes and the Icospiral Shell. In Symmetry 2, Unifying Human Understanding, I. Hargittai, ed., Pergamon Press, Oxford and New York, 1989, pp. 417-423. 

The reaction of OSO4 with Buckminsterfullerene Ceo gives the corresponding osmyl ester species see Carbon Fullerenes). 

Billups, W.E. Ciufolini, M.A. BuckminsterfuUerenes, VCH, NY, 1993 Taylor, R. The Chemistry of Fullerenes, World Scientific, River Edge, NJ, Singapore, 1995, Aldersey-Williams, H. The Most Beautiful Molecule The Discovery of the Buckyball, Wiley, NY, 1995, Baggott, J.E. Perfect Symmetry the Accidental Discovery of Buckminsterfullerene, Oxford University Press, Oxford, NY, 1994. Also see Kroto, H.W. Heath, J.R. O Brien, S.C. Curl, R.F. Smalley, R.E. Nature London) 1985, 318, 162. 

All three elements can crystallize in the tetrahedrally bonded diamond structure (see Topic D2). Si and Ge are semiconductors (see Topic D7). Carbon has other allotropes. Graphite is the thermodynamically stable form at ordinary pressures, diamond at high pressures. More recently discovered forms include buckminsterfullerene C60, higher fullerenes such as C70, and nanotubes... 

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