Buckminsterfullerene is nothing new. Like all basic molecules it has
been around since long before its discovery. As its empirical formula
(C60) implies, it is a molecule comprised simply
of 60 Carbon atoms. However, their arrangement is not so simple. Using
a combination of single and double bonds each Carbon atom bonds entirely
with three other Carbon atoms. The atoms then use a pattern of pentagons
surrounded by hexagons to form a soccer ball-shaped sphere. This forms
an extremely stable sphere made completely out of Carbon.