The Fullerenes: new horizons for the chemistry, physics, and astrophysics of carbon

In 1985, Buckminsterfullerene (fullerene-60) C[subscript 60] Was Discovered Serendipitously During Graphite Laser Vaporization Experiments Designed To Simulate The Chemistry In A Red Giant Carbon Star. The Molecule Was Isolated For The First Time In Macroscopic Amounts In 1990, A Breakthrough Which Triggered An Explosion Of Research Into Its Chemical And Physical Properties. The Fullerenes Hold Great Potential For Material Science Applications, Such As Semiconductors And Microscopic Engineering, And As New Compounds For Pharmaceuticals, Polymers And The Chemical Industry. Buckminsterfullerene Possesses A Beauty And Elegance That Has Excited The Imaginations Of Laymen And Scientists Alike. It Seems Almost Impossible To Comprehend How The Existence Of The Third Well-characterized Allotrope Of Carbon Could Have Evaded Discovery Until Virtually The End Of The Twentieth Century. In October 1992 A Discussion Meeting Of The Royal Society Entitled 'a Post-buckminsterfullerene View Of The Chemistry, Physics And Astrophysics Of Carbon' Organized By H. W. Kroto, A. L. Mackay, G. Turner And D. R. M. Walton, Was Held To Celebrate This Exciting Advance. The Scientists Who Played Key Roles In The Discovery And Who Are Currently Uncovering Fascinating Problems And The Implications Of This Elegant Molecule, Presented The Papers Published In This Book.--book Jacket. The Evolution Of The Football Structure For The C60 Molecule : A Retrospective / E. Ōsawa -- Dreams In A Charcoal Fire : Predictions About Giant Fullerenes And Graphite Nanotubes / David E.h. Jones -- On The Formation Of The Fullerenes / R.f. Curl -- Production And Discovery Of Fullerites : New Forms Of Crystalline Carbon / Wolfgang Krätschmer And Donald R. Huffman -- Systematics Of Fullerenes And Related Clusters / P.w. Fowler -- The Fullerenes : Powerful Carbon-based Electron Acceptors / R.c. Haddon -- The Carbon-bearing Material In The Outflows From Luminous Carbon-rich Stars / M. Jura -- Elemental Carbon As Interstellar Dust / C.t. Pillinger -- The Pattern Of Additions To Fullerenes / R. Taylor -- Polyynes And The Formation Of Fullerenes / H.w. Kroto And D.r.m. Walton -- Hypothetical Graphite Structures With Negative Gaussian Curvature / A.l. Mackay And H. Terrones -- Fullerenes As An Example Of Basic Research In Industry / E. Wasserman -- Deltahedral Views Of Fullerene Polymorphism / Donald L.d. Caspar -- Geodesic Domes And Fullerenes / T. Tarnai. Edited By H.w. Kroto And D.r.m. Walton. Papers Presented On A Discussion Meeting Held 1 And 2 October, 1992 Of The Royal Society. First Published By The Royal Society, 1993, As Volume 343, Number 1667 Of Philosophical Transactions Of The Royal Society--t.p. Verso. Includes Bibliographical References. In 1985, Buckminsterfullerene (fullerene-60) C60 was discovered serendipitously during graphite laser vaporisation experiments designed to simulate the chemistry in a red giant carbon star. The molecule was isolated for the first time in macroscopic amounts in 1990, a breakthrough which triggered an explosion of research into its chemical and physical properties. The fullerenes hold great potential for material science applications, such as semiconductors and microscopic engineering, and as new compounds for pharmaceuticals, polymers and the chemical industry. In October 1992, a Discussion Meeting of the Royal Society entitled A Post-Buckminsterfullerene View of the Chemistry, Physics and Astrophysics of Carbon, organised by H.W. Kroto, A.L. Makay, G. Turner and D.R.M. Walton, was held to celebrate this exciting advance. The scientists who played key roles in the discovery and who are currently uncovering fascinating problems and the implications of this elegant molecule presented the papers published in this book The timescale of scientific and technological advance is becoming shorter and shorter in modern society, partly as a consequence of the rapid advance of technology and improving information transfer.