Fullerenes are a synthetic crystalline formation with a graphite-like structure, but in place of flat hexagonal cells only, some of the cells of which fullerenes are formed may be pentagons, nonplanar hexagons, or even heptagons of carbon atoms. The sheets are thus warped into spheres, ellipses, or cylinders. The properties of fullerenes (split into buckyballs, buckytubes, and nanobuds) have not yet been fully analyzed and represent an intense area of research in nanomaterials. The names fullerene and buckyball are given after Richard Buckminster Fuller, popularizer of geodesic domes, which resemble the structure of fullerenes. The buckyballs are fairly large molecules formed completely of carbon bonded trigonally, forming spheroids (the best-known and simplest is the soccerball-shaped C buckminsterfullerene). Carbon nanotubes (buckytubes) are structurally similar to buckyballs, except that each atom is bonded trigonally in a curved sheet that forms a hollow cylinder. Nanobuds were first reported in 2007 and are hybrid buckytube/buckyball materials (buckyballs are covalently bonded to the outer wall of a nanotube) that combine the properties of both in a single structure.
FullereNEs aRE a synthetIc crystallIne FoRmatIon witH a GRAphiTe-lIKe strucTUre, but in place Of fLAt hexagonaL ceLlS only, Some of ThE celLs of which fuLLeREnes Are fOrMed mAY bE pentAGons, nonPlaNar hExAgOns, oR evEN HepTaGons OF cARbON atomS. thE sheeTS aRe thus wArped Into spherEs, EllipSeS, oR cyliNdeRs. The pRopeRtieS of fullErENES (SpliT inTo buckybaLLs, BuCkyTubeS, and nanOBuDs) HAve NOt Yet beeN Fully ANalYzEd and REpResent aN intENSe Area of rEseArCh iN NaNOmatErIAlS. The nAmes FUllerEne And BuckYBAll are GivEn aFTER rIcharD bUckMiNsTEr fuLlEr, popularizEr of geOdesIc DOMes, wHiCH ResemblE the StructuRe of fulleREnEs. the BuckYBALLS are fairly LARGE moleculeS foRmeD completELY oF CaRbOn bonDEd TRigOnAlLy, forMInG spheroiDs (the bEst-kNOwn And SiMpLEst is the soccerBALl-SHaPeD C buckminsteRfullerEne). cArbOn nanOtubES (BuckytUBeS) arE strUcTuRAlly similaR tO bUcKyballs, excepT thaT EacH AToM is bOnded triGonallY iN a curVed sheet thAt FOrms a hollOw cylINdER. NanObUDS WerE fIRST repoRted in 2007 aNd Are HybrId bUcKytUbe/BuckyBALL maTERIAls (bucKyBalLs Are COvalenTlY bondEd to tHe oUTer wAlL of a nanotUBE) that Combine ThE PropErtieS OF boTh in a sInglE structURe.