However in 1985, Robert F. Curl, Harold W. Kroto and Richard E. Smalley discovered a new form of carbon, now commonly referred to as buckyballs. Their discovery showed that 60 or 70 carbon atoms could cluster together to form a cage-like molecule. The molecular structure resembled the pattern of a soccer ball or the geodesic designs of Buckminster Fullerenes. Thus the name buckyballs or fullerenes. Since then the discovery has led to new research in polymers, endohedral metallofullerenes, semiconductors, and other various areas.
Fullerenes look like soccerballs.
Typically they form cages of sixty or more carbon atoms. Sometimes though a spherical molecule such as this is difficult to visualize by a 2D picture though. Our research group is primarily concerned with producing, extracting, and purifying endohedral metallofullerenes. These unique molecules could indeed be the next replacement for silicon in IC's and other computer chips. By doping the carbon with metals or metal oxides, one can actually create small quantities of buckyballs that encapsulate 1-4 metal atoms.