The Charisma of C₆₀ Buckminsterfullerene

Extract

In 1990, almost exactly five years after C₆₀ Buckminsterfullerene (see Figure 1) was discovered serendipitously during a series of graphite laser vaporization experiments designed to simulate the chemistry in a red giant carbon star, the molecule was isolated in macroscopic amounts. This breakthrough has triggered an explosion of research, and the molecule has already exhibited a wide range of novel phenomena which promise exciting applications. In addition to generating intense experimental interest in its physicochemical properties, the molecule holds a particular fascination for theoreticians; indeed the existence of the molecule was predicted in 1970, some 15 years before its discovery in 1985. It is interesting to consider the intrinsic aesthetic aspects of this molecule which are responsible for the extraordinary charisma it has for scientists and nonscientists alike.