0The correctly suggested the cage structure as shown in the figure and named the molecule Buckminster fullerence after the architect Buckminster Fuller, the inventor of the Geodesic dome, which resembles the molecular structure of C60. Molecules of C60 have a highly symmetrical structure in which 60 carbon atoms are arranged in a closed net with 20 hexagonal faces and 12 pentagonal faces. The pattern in exactly like the design on the surface of a soccer ball. C60 has been found to form in sooting flames when hydrocarbons are burned. All the fullerenes have even number of atoms, with formulae ranging upto C400 and higher. These materials offer exacting prospects for technical application. For example, because C60 readily accepts and donates electrons, it has possible application in batteries.
