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| Definition: A class of cage-like carbon compounds composed of fused, pentagonal and/or hexagonal sp2 carbon rings. | |
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More Definitions of Fullerene:
"Though there tends to be some variation in definitions of fullerenes and related structures, generally buckminsterfullerene, or the buckyball, is taken to refer only to C60, an approximately spherical, hollow, carbon molecule containing 60 carbon atoms arranged in interlocking hexagons and pentagons, akin to the geodesic dome created by architect Buckminster Fuller, hence the name. The structure also looks very much like a soccer ball. The other fullerenes are similar cage-like molecules with more or less carbon atoms, but still composed of pentagons and hexagons. The remaining fullerenes contain more or less carbon atoms, again arranged in pentagons and hexagons." - CMP-Cientifica
"A closed, convex cage molecule containing only hexagonal and pentagonal faces. (This definition intentionally leaves out possible heptagons, which are responsible for the concave parts and are treated as defects.)" - Boris I. Yakobson and Richard E. Smalley
References:
[1] H. Prinzbach, A. Weiler, P. Landenberger, F. Wahl, J. Wšrth, L. T. Scott, M. Gelmont, D. Olevano & B. V. Issendorff, "Gas-phase production and photoelectron spectroscopy of the smallest fullerene, C20," (2000) Nature, 407, 60 - 63. Abstract
[2] L. Becker, R.J. Poreda, T. E. "Fullerenes: An extraterrestrial carbon carrier phase for noble gases", (2000) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 97, 7, 2979-2983. Abstract
