Fullerene Structure C60 Molecule Model
SKU: 68785W
A C60 buckyball is a closed carbon cage in the form of a truncated icosahedron. This model kit has 60 sp2 carbon atoms & 90 30mm bonds that form 12 pentagon & 20 hexagonal faces similar to a soccer ball. The assembled model measures 180mm (~7") across & is one of many carbon allotropes. The bonds between two hexagons are effectively conjugated double bonds. These are implied in the model but can be added.
The model measures 180mm (~7") across. Compare it to other forms of carbon such as diamond & graphite or its structural isomers such as the C70 fullerene. You can also assemble a carbon nanotube using 3 of these kits.
The buckyball may have gotten its name from Buckminster Fuller's original geodesic dome structure used for the American pavilion seen at Expo '67 in Montreal. It has been repurposed as the "Biosphere".
The C60 nanosphere's unique molecular structure yields extraordinary physical & chemical properties. Among them are high tensile strength, electrical conductivity, ductility, heat resistance and relative chemical inertness. Material science continues to find uses of buckminsterfullerenes in electronic devices, as ultra-hard coatings and for drug delivery.
All fullerenes are made of only five- and six-membered carbon rings. To form a sphere, a fullerene must have exactly 12 pentagons but the number of hexagons can vary. Fullerenes can be made up of any even number of carbon atoms greater than or equal to 20 except 22. The isolated pentagon rule posits that the most stable fullerenes are have pentagons encircled by hexagons. This is to reduce angle strain when 2 or more pentagons are conjoined which in turn destabilizes the molecule.
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The other reason is isolated pentagons are stabilized by the conjugated bonds of resonance structures. A ring with six pi electrons is the most stable. C60 buckyballs, Buckminsterfullerene (IUPAC name (C60-Ih)[5,6]fullerene), has 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons & is the smallest fullerene that meets the isolated pentagon rule, hence making them very especially stable.
Indigo Instruments has maintained a substantial inventory of genuine Cochranes of Oxford (Orbit) parts for 30+ years (scroll down to see "Skeletal (Orbit/Minit) and are compatible with every molecular model kit we have sold since day 1. This level of quality may appear expensive but no parts support from other vendors costs even more.
