Discover
/
Article

Solid C60

NOV 01, 1991
The discovery of a method for producing the soccer‐ball‐shaped buckminsterfullerene molecule in abundance led also to the discovery of a totally new form of crystalline carbon.
Donald R. Huffman

On 18 May 1990 my longtime friend and colleague Wolfgang Krätschmer called from the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg with a startling suggestion. The elusive molecule C60, which we had slowly come to realize was abundantly present in the carbonaceous smoke we had been making since 1983, was readily soluble in benzene, he told me. This would provide a simple technique for separating the molecule from the ordinary graphite that made up over 90% of the soot we had been producing.

This article is only available in PDF format

References

  1. 1. H. W. Kroto, J. R. Heath, S. C. O’Brien, R. F. Curl, R. E. Smalley, Nature 318, 162 (1985).https://doi.org/NATUAS

  2. 2. E. A. Rohlfing, D. M. Cox, A. Kaldor, J. Chem. Phys. 81, 3322 (1984).https://doi.org/JCPSA6

  3. 3. H. W. Kroto, A. W. Allaf, S. P. Balm, Chem. Rev. 91, 1213 (1991).https://doi.org/CHREAY

  4. 4. W. Krätschmer, L. D. Lamb, K. Fostiropoulos, D. R. Huffman, Nature 347, 354 (1990).https://doi.org/NATUAS

  5. 5. D. R. Huffman, Adv. Phys. 26, 129 (1977).https://doi.org/ADPHAH

  6. 6. W. Krätschmer, K. Fostiropoulos, D. R. Huffman, in Dusty Objects in the Universe, E. Bussoletti, A. A. Vittone, eds., Kluwer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands (1990), p. 89.

  7. 7. W. Krätschmer, K. Fostiropoulos, D. R. Huffman, Chem. Phys. Lett. 170, 167 (1990).https://doi.org/CHPLBC

  8. 8. R. E. Smalley, “Buckminsterfullerene Bibliography,” Chemistry Department, Rice University, Houston TX 77251 (available via e‐mail by sending the message SUBSCRIBE to bucky @sol1.lrsm.upenn.edu).

  9. 9. R. Tycko, R. C. Haddon, G. Dabbagh, S. H. Glarum, D. C. Douglass, A. M. Mujsce, J. Phys. Chem. 95, 518 (1991). https://doi.org/JPCHAX
    C. S. Yannoni, R. D. Johnson, G. Meijer, D. S. Bethune, J. R. Salem, J. Phys. Chem. 95, 9 (1991).https://doi.org/JPCHAX

  10. 10. J. M. Hawkins, A. Meyer, T. A. Lewis, S. D. Loren, F. J. Hollander, Science 252, 312 (1991).https://doi.org/SCIEAS

  11. 11. P. A. Heiney, J. E. Fischer, A. R. McGhie, W. J. Romanow, A. M. Denenstein, J. P. McCauleyJr, A. B. SmithII, Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 2911 (1991).https://doi.org/PRLTAO

  12. 12. S. J. Duclos, K. Brister, R. C. Haddon, A. R. Kortan, F. A. Thiel, Nature 351, 380 (1991).https://doi.org/NATUAS

  13. 13. D. L. Lichtenberger, M. E. Jatcko, K. W. Nebesny, C. D. Ray, D. R. Huffman, L. D. Lamb, in Clusters and Cluster‐Assembled Materials, R. S. Aberback, J. Bernholc, D. L. Nelson, eds., Symp. Proc. 206, Mater. Res. Soc. Pittsburgh, Pa. (1991), p. 673.

  14. 14. J. H. Weaver, J. L. Martins, T. Komeda, Y. Chen, T. R. Ohno, G. H. Kroll, N. Trouller, R. E. Haufler, R. E. Smalley, Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 1741 (1991).https://doi.org/PRLTAO

  15. 15. S. Saito, A. Oshiyama, Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 2637 (1991). https://doi.org/PRLTAO
    Q.‐M. Zhang, J.‐Y. Yi, J. Bernholc, Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 2633 (1991).https://doi.org/PRLTAO

  16. 16. A. F. Hebard, M. J. Rosseinsky, R. C. Haddon, D. W. Murphy, S. H. Glarum, T. T. M. Palstra, A. P. Ramirez, A. R. Kortan, Nature 350, 600 (1991).https://doi.org/NATUAS

  17. 17. K. Holczer, O. Klein, S.‐M. Huang, R. B. Kaner, K.‐J. Fu, R. L. Whetten, F. Diederich, Science 252, 1154 (1991).https://doi.org/SCIEAS

  18. 18. M. J. Rosseinsky, A. P. Ramirez, S. H. Glarum, D. W. Murphy, R. C. Haddon, A. F. Hebard, T. T. M. Palstra, A. R. Kortan, S. M. Zahurak, A. V. Makhija, Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 2830 (1991).https://doi.org/PRLTAO

  19. 19. Z. Iqbal, R. H. Baughman, B. L. Ramakrishna, S. Khare, N. S. Murthy, H. J. Bornemann, D. E. Morris, Science (1991), in press.

  20. 20. G. Sparn, J. D. Thompson, S.‐M. Huang, R. B. Kaner, F. Diederich, R. L. Whetten, G. Grüner, K. Holczer, Science 252, 1829 (1991).https://doi.org/SCIEAS

More about the authors

Donald R. Huffman, University of Arizona, Tucson.

Related content
/
Article
A half century after the discovery of Hawking radiation, we are still dealing with the quantum puzzle it exposed.
/
Article
Since the discovery was first reported in 1999, researchers have uncovered many aspects of the chiral-induced spin selectivity effect, but its underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
/
Article
Metrologists are using fundamental physics to define units of measure. Now NIST has developed new quantum sensors to measure and realize the pascal.
/
Article
Nanoscale, topologically protected whirlpools of spins have the potential to move from applications in spintronics into quantum science.
This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1991_11.jpeg

Volume 44, Number 11

Get PT newsletters in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.