Buckyballs – a new sphere of science
Box 2 | The many potential uses of fullerenes
Since the discovery of fullerenes in 1985, scientists have discussed a myriad of possible uses for these unusual molecules. Just some of these possiblilities are described here.
Chemical sponges
Medical researchers believe that fullerenes could be put to work as tiny chemical sponges, mopping up dangerous chemicals from injured brain tissue. Excess production of free radicals (eg, peroxide) in the brain following a head injury or a stroke destroys nerve cells. Buckyballs, made soluble in water, appear able to ‘swallow’ and hold free radicals, thereby reducing the damage to tissue.
Nanotubes in microscopes
Buckyball discoverer Richard Smalley and colleagues have used nanotubes as chemical probes in a scanning-force microscope. The microscope relies on a tiny tip that detects and skims the surface of target molecules. The great resilience of fullerenes means that the tube springs back into its original shape when bent.
Buckyballs in miniature circuits
A supercomputer the size of a paperback is the ambition of European researchers who have managed to attach a single buckyball to a sheet of copper. The scientists compressed the buckyball by 15 per cent, improving electrical conductivity by more than 100 times compared to the undisturbed molecule. A tiny electronic component like this could make miniature circuits feasible.
Lubricants, catalysts and superconductors
Other exciting potential uses of fullerenes include buckyballs behaving as 'molecular ball bearings' allowing surfaces to glide over one another. Fullerenes with metal atoms attached to them might function as catalysts, increasing the rate of important chemical reactions. Scientists know that buckyball compounds with added potassium act as superconductors at very low temperatures.
Molecular sieves
Because of the way they stack, buckyballs could act as molecular sieves, trapping particles of particular sizes while leaving others unaffected. Scientists talk of designing sieve-like membranes from buckyballs that allow biological materials to pass through, but not larger particles such as viruses. This would be useful for handling transplant organs, for example.
Buckycopiers?
In the United States, Xerox owns patents for using buckyballs to improve resolution of photocopies. They are 1000 times smaller than the particles used in conventional photocopier toner.
Box
Box 1. Finding the molecular structure of buckyballs
Related sites
Harold Kroto contemplates applications of Nobel-winning fullerenes (The Scientist, 6 January 1997)
Have buckminsterfullerenes been put to any practical uses? (Ask the experts, Scientific American)
Page updated January 2010.