Advanced Topic 202 of 1102 Bonding & Molecular Structure
Fullerenes
Hollow carbon cages such as C60 buckminsterfullerene made of pentagons and hexagons.
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In-depth explanation of Fullerenes
Fullerenes are closed cage molecules of carbon, most famously C60, whose sixty sp2 carbon atoms form a hollow sphere of twelve pentagons and twenty hexagons, like a football. The molecule was discovered in 1985 by Kroto, Curl and Smalley, who named it buckminsterfullerene after the architect Buckminster Fuller. Fullerenes can host atoms or small molecules inside the cage and are investigated for drug delivery, lubricants and electronic materials. Related structures include carbon nanotubes, which can be viewed as rolled graphene sheets. Their cage structure makes them chemically distinct from planar graphite.
Going deeper: Fullerenes
Key ideas: Facts: C60 has 60 vertices, 90 edges and 32 faces (12 pentagons and 20 hexagons), and obeys Euler's formula. No two pentagons touch (isolated pentagon rule). Bonds are 140 pm in hexagon-hexagon edges and 146 pm in pentagon-hexagon edges. It dissolves in toluene as a purple solution. C70 is rugby-ball shaped. Potassium-doped C60 is a superconductor at 18 K.
Common mistakes and connections: A common error is saying C60 has delocalized benzene-like aromaticity throughout: it is better viewed as electron-deficient with localized double bonds, reacting like an alkene. Another is stating that all carbons are in hexagons. Links to allotropes, nanotubes, graphene and geometry of closed polyhedra.
Visualization of Fullerenes
C60 is a truncated icosahedron with 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons. The pentagons give the curvature that closes the carbon sheet into a ball. The interactive lesson shows this as a live animation or chart.
Worked example and use case
Solid C60 packs into a face-centred cubic crystal known as fullerite.
Frequently asked questions about Fullerenes
What is Fullerenes?
Hollow carbon cages such as C60 buckminsterfullerene made of pentagons and hexagons.
Is Fullerenes a beginner, intermediate or advanced topic?
Fullerenes is a advanced topic in Bonding & Molecular Structure. It builds on beginner and intermediate topics, so review those first if needed.
What should I learn before Fullerenes?
Study these earlier topics in Bonding & Molecular Structure first: Graphite Structure, Diamond Structure, Graphene.
What comes after Fullerenes?
The next topics in Bonding & Molecular Structure are Coordination Compounds and Ligands.
Can I practise Fullerenes with quizzes?
Yes. The interactive lesson includes a self-check question on Fullerenes, and the Bonding & Molecular Structure quiz draws on every topic in this area.
Where Fullerenes fits in Bonding & Molecular Structure
Fullerenes is topic 87 of 104 in Bonding & Molecular Structure.