The carbon atoms in C60 (Buckminsterfullerene) are arranged in a geometric shape consisting of 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons. Buckyballs of a wide variety of sizes and morphology are possible. While they all must have 12 pentagons, the number and arrangement of hexagons can vary. The smallest possible buckyball is the dodecahedral C20, a shape consisting of 12 pentagonal faces and no hexagonal faces. Larger buckyballs can be hollow or contain nested shells, resulting in onion-like nanostructures [1]. Alias: Fullerene
Reference:
[1] P. Hebgen, A. Goel, J. B. Howard, L. C. Rainey, J. B. Vander Sande "Synthesis of Fullerenes and Fullerenic Nanostructures in a Low-Pressure Benzene/Oxygen Diffusion Flame" Proceedings of the Combustion Institute (2000) 28, 1397Ð140. Full Text PDF
