Fullerenes and Nanotechnology

Fullerenes and Nanotechnology

The 1996 Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded to three American scientists for their iden- tification of a new allotrope of aromatic carbon molecules called “fullerenes.” These unusual carbon molecules form a closed-cage structure of joined carbon atoms. The original soccer ball–shaped carbon molecule called buckminsterfullerene contained 60 carbon atoms and was nicknamed “Bucky Ball” in honor of Buckminster Fuller (1859–1983), who used similar shapes in some of his architectural structures. Since then additional organic pentagon struc-

tures beyond the original icosahedral fullerene (C 60 ) have been developed, all with an even

Atomic Structure | 23 number of fully saturated carbon atoms, ranging up to C 240 . Because they are extremely rare

and expensive to create, they have not found many uses outside of the field of chemistry. Nanotechnology combines the sciences of chemistry, physics, and engineering at the quan- tum level to build structures the size of one billionth of a meter (10 -9 ) from single atoms and molecules. For comparison, a human blood cell is 10 micrometers in diameter, an electrical path on a computer chip is 1 micrometer (10 -6 ), and a virus is 100 nanometers in diameter. Bucky Balls are 1 nanometer in diameter, and nanotubes are less than 1.5 nanometers in diam- eter. These nanotubes are stronger than steel and could reduce the weight while increasing the strength of cables and wires as well as airplanes, cars, and other products. Many existing and new companies are investing millions of dollars in this new industrial revolution. The U.S. government is spending millions to assist in developing new and improved products using nanotechnologies. Some possible future products include small lasers, new nano drugs and drug-delivery systems resulting in the cure of many human ailments, faster and smaller laptop computers with longer-lasting batteries, extremely sharp computer and TV screens, improved efficiency for hydrogen fuel-cells used in electric cars, improved crop production, improved scratch resistant products, and much more. The possibilities for future use of nanotechnolo- gies are almost endless. It is speculated that current high manufacturing costs related to nano- technology will rapidly drop as molecular machines construct more molecular machines that in turn will use individual atoms and molecules to manufacture new or to improve existing products.

Just as modern society will be different with nanotechnology, a similar revolution occurred with the development of both inorganic and organic chemistry. The knowledge of organic molecular compounds and the ability to manipulate them to form a multitude of useful products increased our and the world’s standard of living. The development and use of nano- technology will result in similar advancements.

The development of new technologies, industries, and products can be intimidating. People are often more comfortable with the status quo, and they can be easily misled. At times, the public is bewildered by the term “organic,” particularly when purchasing some foods now labeled “organic” that are regulated by the federal Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA). Actually, all food except supplements such as vitamins and some seasonings (e.g., table salt) are organic in the sense that they consist mainly of carbon compounds. The only difference with so-called organic foods is that they are grown using fewer synthetic insecticides and chemical fertilizers, and the crops are grown in specific ways. Nitrogen and other elements are required for plant growth. Plants do not distinguish the source of their required nutrients.

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The Periodic Table of the Chemical Elements