Fullerenes, buckyballs, and soccerenes are hollow molecules composed entirely of carbon, with a spherical, ellipsoidal, cylindrical, or tubular shape.
Fullerene is very similar in structure to graphite. Graphite is composed of graphene layers composed of six-membered rings.
Fullerene contains not only six-membered rings but also five-membered rings, and occasionally seven-membered rings.
Before the discovery of fullerenes, the only allotropes of carbon were graphite, diamond, and amorphous carbon (such as carbon black and carbon).
Its discovery greatly expanded the number of allotropes of carbon.
The unique chemical and physical properties of fullerenes and carbon nanotubes, as well as their potential applications in technology, have aroused strong interest from scientists, especially in materials science, electronics, and nanotechnology.
Preparation
The low-cost production of high-purity fullerenes in large quantities is the basis of fullerene research.
Since Crotor discovered C60, many methods for the preparation of fullerenes have been developed.
At present, the more mature preparation methods of fullerene mainly include the arc method, a thermal evaporation method, combustion method, and chemical vapor deposition method.
Combustion method
The carbon black that benzene and toluene burn incompletely under the action of oxygen contains C60 and C70.
The ratio of C60 to C70 can be controlled by adjusting the pressure and gas ratio. This is the main method for producing fullerenes in industry.