3. A Japanese physical organic chemist E. G. Osawa had perceived that carbon in the single layer closed cages structure would be aromatic and therefore stable, in early 1970.
4. Gal’pern (Russian scientist) had completed the first of many Hückel calculations showing that it would be a closed shell molecule with a large HOMO-LUMO gap in 1973.
5.
6. Each carbon atom on the cage surface is bonded to three carbon neighbors therefore is sp2 hybridized.
7. The most famous fullerene is C60, known also by “ buckyball ".
23. Applications of fullerenes Due to their extremely resilient and sturdy nature, fullerenes are being considered for use in combat armor. Researchers have found that water-soluble derivates of fullerenes inhibit the HIV-1 protease (enzyme responsible for the development of the virus) and are therefore useful in fighting the HIV virus that leads to AIDS. Elements can be bonded with C60 or other fullerenes to create more diverse materials, including superconductors and insulators.
![How did we get to know about fullerenes? ,[object Object]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)