Fullerenes

Fullerenes are molecules made entirely of carbon. They are spherical and look kind of like a really tiny soccer ball. The most common is C-60. They are still being studied very thoroughly, but possible uses include energy production, as superconductors, and in medicine.

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Carbon is a nonmetal. That means that it's not a very good conductor of heat or electricity. Nonmetals tend to be brittle, so they can't be rolled into wire or pounded into sheets. It exists in the solid state at room temperature. Nonmetals have no metallic luster, and don't reflect light. But make no mistake....carbon won't be booted off the periodic table anytime soon.

Carbon is found in three known forms: diamond, graphite, and fullerenes. A fourth form, white carbon, is being investigated. Carbon is found in the sun, the stars, and in the atmospheres of most planets. Diamonds, graphite, and fullerenes are pure carbon structures, but carbon also exists abundantly in compounds. Carbon dioxide is found in the atmosphere of the earth and dissolved in all natural waters. All of the great mountain ranges and land masses are made of carbonates of calcium, iron, and magnesium. Natural gas, coal, and petroleum are made from hydrocarbons, or compounds made from hydrogen and carbon. Organic chemistry is a field of chemistry that is devoted entirely to the study of carbon compounds and their interactions. ALL LIVING ORGANISMS CONTAIN CARBON! Graphite is used in pencils (where it's called lead, go figure). It's a better electrical conductor than diamond, and is used in a special type of lamp. Graphite is considered to be a high grade of coal, better than anthracite. You know, the stuff they mine around here, it's carbon too. But graphite isn't used as fuel, since it's hard to ignite. Diamonds are pretty rare. They form deep in the earth and are brought to the surface by volcanic eruptions. Everyone knows they're popular as gemstones. Since they're very hard, they are also used in industry, for cutting substances, and as an abrasive for polishing or very fine grinding. They are also used in lasers, and x-ray machines.


Carbon was discovered in prehistoric times, But graphite was discovered by Edward Goodrich Acheson in 1896. Fullerenes were discovered in 1985 by Kurl, Smoto, and Smalley. They won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for their discovery.

So, it's fairly easy to see why carbon is a vital element. We can't live without it, or it's compounds. It's the chemical basis for all known life. So it stays on the periodic table...if it goes, we all go!