Fullerenes (WJEC GCSE Chemistry)

Fullerenes

• Fullerenes consist of carbon atoms and form caged structures 

• The first fullerene to be discovered was buckminsterfullerene which is referred to as a “buckyball”

• In this fullerene, 60 carbon atoms are joined together forming 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons which produce a hollow sphere that is the exact shape of a soccer ball

• The formula of buckminsterfullerene is C₆₀

Diagram to show the structure of buckminsterfullerene

It consists of 60 carbon atoms in a spherical shape 

• Fullerenes can be used to trap other molecules by forming around the target molecule and capturing it, making them useful for targeted drug delivery systems

• They also have a huge surface area and are useful for trapping catalyst molecules onto their surfaces making them easily accessible to reactants so catalysis can take place

• Some fullerenes are excellent lubricants due to the weak intermolecular forces between each fullerene