Introduction

 

      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.

 
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