1

Buckminsterfullerenes: Their Role in Our Society

Elias N. Morales
ENGR 1050

2
Buckminsterfullerenes: Their Role in Our Society

Defined
The fullerene, or otherwise known as, buckminsterfullerene, are a carbon molecule that
comes in different forms such as a hollow cage-like structure. The cage like structure is
composed of pentagonal and hexagonal sides, originally suggested and confirmed to by of a
truncated icosahedron, with 60 vertices and 32 faces, 12 pentagonal and 20 hexagonal. The
fullerene is made of up 60 atoms of carbon and is highly stable, and was unknown to us for
centuries until their recent discovery in 1985. The carbon molecule has also been found in
different sizes containing 70, 76, 82, 84 carbon atoms being found in outer space and candle soot
The fullerene C60 was first predicted by Eiji Osawa of Toyohashi University as a football
shape and a hypothetical soccer ball shape in Japan, in 1970. However it was published in Japan
but never reached Europe or the Americas. Other proposals were made in America by R. W.
Henson and by a group of Soviet scientists who made a quantum-chemical analysis of the
stability of C60. But neither were accepted.
In 1985 Harold Kroto, James R. Heath, Sean OBrian, Richard Smalley, and Robert Curl,
from Rice University discovered C60, the atoms being joined together by single and double bonds
to form the soccer ball-like shape. They used a laser to vaporize graphite rods in an atmosphere
of helium gas to form 60. Kroto, Curl and Smalley were awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize in
Chemistry for their discovery. Afterwards the fullerenes flew into popularity as others started to
produce them and find them themselves through arch. They have been found in candle soot,

3
ground where lightning has struck and more recently in a cosmic cloud of dust 6500 light years
away from earth.
When C60 was discovered, there was great excitement about its practical applications. It
seemed as though that buckyballs would make great lubricants, rolling like ball bearings between
molecules, or act as a cage for drugs to be released into the body.
While the Krato, Smalley, Curl and the students at Rice University discovered C60, they
named it after Richard Buckminster Fuller, who is famous for the popularization of the geodesic
dome. Since that is what the fullerene looks like, it seemed only proper to name it the
buckminsterfullerene. As other fullerenes were discovered the name was shortened to
fullerene.

Properties
One unique property of the C60 molecule is that it is highly symmetric. With all the
different transformations, there are 120 different symmetry operations. They form the
icosahedral group. Because of all this, C60 can be called the most symmetric molecule.
Another unique property of fullerenes is that they are soluble, unlike the other allotrope
of carbon. If one shakes up a fullerene soot with a solvent like toluene and filter it, one obtains a
red solution. As the solvent evaporates, crystals of pure carbon will appear.
The C60 molecule is highly stable being able to withstand high temperatures and high
pressures. The structure surface can also selectively react with other particles while still being

4
able to maintain its spherical shape. Along with that, atoms and other small molecules can be
trapped within the molecule without reacting.
Buckyballs can undergo six, one-electron reductions, but oxidation is irreversible. Along
with that, when placed with an aromatic solvent, the solution is a purple color. C60 crystallizes
with some solvents which can result in C60 and C70 crystals for solvates and also pure fullerenes.
As a solid, C60 is soft, comparable to graphite, however if it is compressed to 70% of its
volume it transforms into a super hard form of diamond, becoming the most hard and least
compressible substance, called aggregated diamond nanorod. C60 is also a semiconductor and if
doped, it concerts from a semiconductor into a conductor or even a superconductor.
C60 also is a great antioxidant. Free radicals, because of their charge can damage
biological molecules they come in contact with. With C60 it can neutralize free radicals by giving
or taking electrons from the free radicals, making buckyballs one of the best antioxidants.
Medicine
Fullerenes have been long proposed to have use in the field of medicine. Buckyballs
have a unique property of being a neutralizer, neutralizing free radicals by providing electrons
and also room for electrons. This makes them able to be in contact with cells and biological
tissues without altering their behavior; others were demonstrated to be suitable as substrates for
the growth of cells and tissues for regenerative medicine and call therapies. It has also been
supposed that fullerenes are good drug carriers in that they might be used to carry cytotoxic
agents into solid tumor masses.
Chemistry

5
A field of organic chemistry has been devoted for fullerenes and their chemical
properties. This has been to find out ways to use fullerenes for many different things and tune
their properties for use. One example is how buckyballs are very insoluble, but by adding a
suitable molecule, or solvent, it can enhance the solubility of the fullerenes. Also, by adding a
polymer, a fullerene polymer can be obtained for further use. Through this study, the
functionality have fullerenes have been divided into two classes: exohedral fullerenes, where
molecules and elements are outside the cage, and endohedral fullerenes, with molecules inside
the cage. With endohedral fullerenes and exohedral fullerenes, the use of fullerenes is expanded
immensely. Things can be attached to the antioxidant for further benefits to the body. Also,
things can be placed like stated earlier, drugs, for greater medicinal use.
Fullerene Strengthening Metals
A unique opportunity that is offered by fullerenes is to be able to harden metals and
alloys without compromising the metals properties such as temperature ductility. This is due to
the small size and high reactivity of the fullerenes which allows the dispersion strengthening of
metallic matrices with carbice particles that result from interactions between fullerens and
metals.
Fullerene Based Sensors
Recently, a fullerene-based interdigitated capacitor has been developed to explore
sensory applications. It is based on the electron accepting properties of fullerene films and the
changes that occur when planar molecules interact with the film surface. Fullerene chemistry
provides a high selectivity and the interdigitated capacitor gives a high sensitivity. The chemical

6
sensor is small, simple and can be reproduced at a low cost, which makes them attractive for
further fullerene applications and development.
Cosmetics
Because fullerenes have great antioxidant properties as stated earlier, it is used in
cosmetics. Due to the free-radical theory of aging, highly active antioxidant activity can be the
basis for unique antiaging properties, being used in remedies for cosmetic use.
Conclusion
Fullerenes in our day are a huge advancement in science in every field. Just the fact that
unknown to us for centuries, C60 is one of the biggest carbon discoveries as a new 3rd allotrope.
Due to their very practical properties, fullerenes are a key topic on nanotechnology and industrial
research in our day. As the field of science grow wider and deeper, fullerenes will be a large
part of processes to lead to further development. Its an exciting time for science with the
buckminsterfullerene.

7
Works Cited
Bakry, R., Vallant, R. M., Najam-ul-Haq, M., Rainer, M., Szabo, Z., Huck, C. W., & Bonn, G. K.
(2007). Medicinal applications of fullerenes. International Journal of Nanomedicine,
2(4), 639649.
Chistyakov, V. A., Smirnova, Y. O., Prazdnova, E. V., & Soldatov, A. V. (2013). Possible
mechanisms of fullerene C 60 antioxidant action. Biomed Research International,
821498-821498 1p. doi:2013/821498
Walton, D. R. M. (2016). Fullerene. Chemical compound
http://www.britannica.com/science/fullerene
Alexandr V. Talyzin (1997). Phase Transition C60C60*4C6H6 in Liquid Benzene
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 1997 101 (47), 9679-9681
DOI: 10.1021/jp9720303
Pacor, S., Grillo, A., orevi, L., Zorzet, S., Lucaf, M., Da Ros, T., & ... Sava, G. (2015).
Effects of Two Fullerene Derivatives on Monocytes and Macrophages. Biomed Research
International, 20151-13 13p. doi:10.1155/2015/915130