Essay On Buckyballs

Introduction

Buckminsterfullerene, also called Buckyballs, were one of the first nanoparticles discovered. This discovery happened in 1985 by a trio of researchers working out of Rice University named Richard Smalley, Harry Kroto, and Robert Curl. The size of the molecule is almost exactly 1nm in diameter. The ratio of a size of an ordinary soccer ball to the planet Earth is the same as the ratio size of a Buckyball molecule to a soccer ball.

Chemical structure and properties

Buckyballs are composed of carbon atoms linked to three other carbon atoms by covalent bonds. However, the carbon atoms are connected in the same pattern of hexagons and pentagons you find on a soccer ball, giving a buckyball the spherical structure as shown in the following

Buckyballs are used in composites to strengthen material. Buckyballs have the interesting electrical property of being very good electron acceptors, which means they accept loose electrons from other materials. This feature is useful, for example, in increasing the efficiency of solar cells in transforming sunlight into electricity.

Uses of Buckyballs

The first main use that scientists are hoping to implement with buckyballs is the use of medical field. In 2007, there was a study conducted that used buckyballs to get medication into cancer cells. They did this by creating proteins that could attach to the cell membrane of a cancer cell and then push through. Similar to how a virus is able to get into a cell, scientists were able to make buckyballs do the same thing.

The only downfall about buckyballs is that they are expensive to make and therefore, have not found much use. However, their main use is for research right now and as companies find ways to make then cheaper. There is a chance that buckyballs will begin to gain a foothold in both medical and industrial world because of its strength and