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Jenny Johnson
Professor Wesley Sanders
Intro to Nanotechnology 1010
07/08/2016
E-Portfolio Assignment
C60

What C60 is:

Nanotechnology is defined as technology that is conducted at the nanoscale, which is the
equivalent to 100 nanometers or less. It is microscopic mechanisms like C60. C60 is a hollow,
spherical, or ellipsoid of a carbon molecule in a cage like structure composed of 12 pentagonal
faces and 20 hexagonal faces. It is the same shape as a soccer ball. It is approximately one
nanometer in diameter about 5,000 times smaller than a red blood cell. It is found in interstellar
matter and candle soot. This molecule is special because of the exohedral and endohedral
modifications that can be made to C60. C60 goes by many different names such as Bucky Balls
and Buckminsterfullerene, but all of those names are referring to a molecule that may be able to
revolutionize many things such as the way we treat cancer.

The History of C60:

C60 was an elusive discovery to say the least. C60, the third allotrope of carbon, was discovered
by a group of scientists looking at the absorption spectrum of interstellar dust 31 years ago by a
man named Harry Kroto, a physical chemist. Though they were not the first to observe evidence
of the C60 molecule, Kroto and his team were the one to fit the pieces together. The first
published report was by Exxon scientists, but they were interested in other things and so labeled

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the C60 readings as a fluke. Kroto and his students had been engaged in making nitrogencontaining long chain carbon molecules, originally for the purpose of examining the way that
they bend and rotate (Edwards). Later Kroto used a laser-vaporization supersonic cluster beam to
experiment with the interstellar matter. A laser-vaporization supersonic cluster beam uses a high
power laser to vaporize a material from a metallic disk, later evaporated into a helium cloud and
is sucked into a vacuum to be looked at with a mass spectrometer.
On the reports there was a 60 atom peak that kept appearing over and over. Normally
with that size it would need hydrogen to bond together, so it peaked the scientists curiosity. So
they did what all scientist would do; used gummy bears, paper, and toothpicks. They finally
figured out the structure after Kroto remember a creation by architect Buckminster Fuller which
was a geodesic dome, basically in the shape of a soccer ball. In 1996 Kroto and his team was
award the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Robert Curl and Richard Smalley for their discovery of
fullerenes.
Once discovered it was found everywhere, even in candle soot! It is the most symmetrical
molecule ever discovered and therefore has many ways it can be used, putting molecules inside it
(endohedral) or adding them to the outside (exohedral) has many ramifications for future use.
Therefore, nanoscale technology then became the focus of intense research with the discovery of
carbon nanotubes by Sumio Iijama of NEC. (Fritz, Lynn, and Moore) In 2000, the US
government developed the NNI (National Nanotechnology Initive) so that the US could focus
more heavily on advancements in nanotechnology.

Some of the science behind C60:

Atomic Structure:

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For years there was only two carbon based allotropes; diamonds and graphite. Allotropes, based
on the Oxford dictionary definition, are two or more different forms in which an element can
exist. With diamonds the carbon atoms are arranged in a tetrahedral pattern and in graphite, they
are sheets of graphene, which is a two-dimensional layer of interlinked hexagons. C60 is a
hollow, spherical, or ellipsoid of carbon molecules in a cage like structure composed of twelve
pentagonal faces and 20 hexagonal faces.
Chemical Bonding:
C60 is mathematically the most symmetrical molecule that is physically possible. It is also
notable because of the way it can bond together with other substances also known as doping.
Doping in terms of chemistry is the addition of impurities to a semiconductor to control the
electrical resistivity. C60 can be bonded together to create a conductor, a semiconductor, or a
superconductor. It also allows other molecules to be trapped inside it. It is essentially shrink wrap
for an atom. (277, Regis).
The C60 structure also forms four covalent bonds one single and two double. Covalent
bonding is the bond formed by sharing electrons between atoms. A single bond consists of a
covalent bond formed by sharing one electron and like the name suggests a double bonds shares
two (McMurry, 113). All of the carbon atoms in the structure bond with three other carbon atoms
so that one of the bonds is a double bond. This double bond is always the shorter bond, which
lies between twos of the hexagons. The single bonds separate each hexagon from the pentagon
that is touching it.
ARC Discharge and Laser Ablation:
In 1990 Kratschmer invented a method to produce fullerenes in large amounts. One of
these is the ARC discharge method. In this method graphite electrodes are placed in a helium

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environment and heated using large electric currents. This is the same technic used to created
carbon nanotubes. In laser ablation a high power laser is used to strike a graphite rod. Laser
pulses enter the tube and strike a target consisting of a mixture of graphite and a solvent and then
soot is produced which then becomes C60.
Applications and Benefits of C60:
Cancer treatment:
The biggest use for C60 in cancer therapy. The current application of chemotherapy drugs
not only attacks the cancer cells, but the healthy ones as well. This is a huge blow to an already
sick persons health. C60 has the ability to satisfy various free radicals. This mean that we can
target the specific cancer cells while leaving the healthy cells alone. It would be life changing to
some, where chemo therapy is by fae the harshest part of cancer treatment. However, the attempt
to do this has been dampened quite a bit due to the low solubility of water.
Solar Panels:
Out of the University of Wisconsin comes a revolutionary way to absorb and convert
energy from the sun. This advancement could make solar panels far less expensive and easier to
manufacture. Carbon nanotubes can convert nearly 75 percent of the light absorbed which are
good light absorbers and electrical conductors. These solar panels have a thin layer of carbon
nanotubes and then on top of that is a layer of C60. The nanotubes absorb the bulk of the sunlight
and retain the positive charge, while the C60 draws the negative charge. (1, Meiller)
Anti-aging:
C60 is also being used as an anti-aging formula available in a supplement. It is C60 in a
fatty acid like olive oil. While there isnt much scientific data to back up the claim a recent
experiment with rats showed promise. The rats were administered C60 daily in olive oil and it

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prolonged their lifespan while having little to no toxicity (2, Baati). It is a promising discovery in
many of the medical fields.
In conclusion:
Though it goes by many names C60 at its genetic makeup is an incredible molecule that is not
only a breakthrough discovery but a real hope for the future. When it comes to its expanding real
world applications such as cancer treatment, solar panels, and even an anti-aging remedy it very
well could become a catalyst for change. From a molecular soccer ball to a possible way to treat
cancer it goes to show that sometimes it is the small stuff that counts.

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WORKS CITED PAGE
Allhoff, Fritz, Patrick Lin, and Daniel Moore. What Is Nanotechnology and Why Does It
Matter?: From Science to Ethics. Chichester, UK: Wiley- Blackwell, 2010. Print.
Baati, Tarek, et al. "The Prolongation Of The Lifespan Of Rats By Repeated Oral Administration
Of [60]Fullerene." Biomaterials 33.19 (2012): 4936-4946. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11
July 2016.
Edwards, Steven A. The Nanotech Pioneers: Where Are They Taking Us? Weinheim: Wiley
VCH, 2006. Print.
Mieller, Renee. "Future Looks Bright for Carbon Nanotube Solar Cells." News. N.p., 18 June
2013. Web. 11 July 2016.
McMurry, John, Castellion, Mary, Ballestine, David S., Hoeger, Carl, Peterson, Virginia
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall,
2010. Print.
Regis, Edward. Nano: The Emerging Science of Nanotechnology: Remaking the World-molecule
by Molecule. Boston: Little, Brown, 1995. Print.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/absorption-spectrum
http://www.chemicool.com/definition/doping.html