Fullerene

Carbon molecule having spherical, ellipsoidal or tubular form is known as fullerene. Spherical fullerenes are called buckyballs and cylindrical fullerenes are called buckytubes. In buckyball clusters, 20 to 60 carbon atoms are accommodated. Nanotubes with small dimensions and megatubes with larger dimensions are extensively used in electronics industry. Spherical particles based on multiple carbon layers surrounding a buckyball core are known as nano-onions. If two bucky balls are linked by a carbon chain, it is called ‘linked ball and chain dimers’. Fullerenes are showing aliphatic behaviour and are sparingly soluble in many solvents. They are stable. If we heat fullerenes without air at very high temperature, it turns into graphite. Different species of fullerenes are fullerites, fullerides, endohedral fullerenes, exohedral fullerenes, heterofullerenes and metcars.