Materials ScienceIntroduction |
What is a fullerene? |
A fullerene is any molecule made up of only carbon atoms that has a shape of a sphere, ellipsoid (a distorted sphere), or a tube. The name fullerene comes from Richard Buckminster Fuller, an architect who designed the geodesic dome (Spaceship Earth at Epcot Center is a geodesic dome). The U.S. Post Office recently commemorated Fuller and and his geodesic dome on a stamp.