Electronic processes in fullerenes (C60)

Abstract In 1985, a remarkable discovery was made of a new allotropic form of carbon with the molecular formula C60 (Kroto et al. 1985). It is called buckminsterfullerene or fullerene, named after the famous architect R. Buckminster Fuller, who designed structures that resembled C60, which looks like a soccer ball. Although C60 is not a hydrocarbon, it behaves as a typical molecular solid like anthracene, which is an insulator, but it also forms compounds that are metallic and even superconducting. These properties make C60 a fascinating and important subject for study.