Buckyball: Tiny Carbon Soccer Balls

The video discusses the significance of carbon, focusing on the discovery of a new allotrope called Buckminsterfullerene or Buckyball (C60) in 1985 by scientists Kroto, Heath, and Smalley. The Buckyball, resembling a soccer ball, was discovered using lasers on graphite. Its unique structure, consisting of 60 carbon atoms, makes it stable and less reactive. Fullerenes, including C60, occur naturally on Earth and in space. Despite being costly to produce, Buckyballs have potential applications in medicine and materials science due to their electrical conductivity and hardness.

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