What is a fullerene?
A type of graphite
A type of diamond
A type of carbon molecule
A type of coal
Fullerenes are a group of carbon molecules composed entirely of carbon atoms. They were first discovered in 1985 by Harry Kroto, Richard Smalley, and Robert Curl, who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery in 1996.
Fullerene is nothing but an allotrope of carbon wherein its molecules consist of carbon atoms that are connected by single and double bonds. This results in the formation of a closed or partially closed cage-like structure (a mesh consisting of fused rings) that further contain several atoms. The fullerene molecule in this form can either have a hollow sphere, be an ellipsoid, tube, or it can also have many other different shapes and sizes. When the carbon molecules are arranged in a cylindrical form they usually form a tube-like structure known as carbon nanotubes.