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Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: confused on December 21, 2004, 07:40:12 PM

Title: Bucky Balls
Post by: confused on December 21, 2004, 07:40:12 PM

Could anyone please explain to me the bonding in Buckminsterfullerene? Specifically I was wondering what happens to the free valency in each carbon atom, or whether double bonds are involved. This would be a huge help to me if anyone can help, so far diagrams I have seen have been quite unhelpful in this regard.

Title: Re:Bucky Balls
Post by: ATMyller on December 22, 2004, 05:02:19 AM

Free valence is either in double bonds creating a delocalised electron cloud reaching over the whole molecule (sorta like aromatic sphere) or subsitueted, usually by hydrogen etc. C₅₀H₅₀ and C₆₀H₆₀

Title: Re:Bucky Balls
Post by: confused on December 22, 2004, 05:57:40 AM

Why does a double bond create delocalised electrons?

Title: Re:Bucky Balls
Post by: ATMyller on December 23, 2004, 04:20:26 AM

double bond doesn't create delocalized electrons, but conjucated double bonds can create aromatic systems where excessive electrons become delocalized.

Title: Re:Bucky Balls
Post by: Donaldson Tan on December 26, 2004, 06:29:30 PM

the 2p orbitals (that contain electrons) of the carbon atoms overlap with adjacent ones to form a region of equivalent energy level such that the electrons are free to move within without promotting or demoting its energy level.

Title: Re:Bucky Balls
Post by: confused on December 27, 2004, 07:19:06 PM

Is this a pi oribital then?

Btw, thanks for all the replies guys :)

Title: Re:Bucky Balls
Post by: Donaldson Tan on December 27, 2004, 07:46:00 PM

yes, it's a pi bond that extends over a carbon chain.

Title: Re:Bucky Balls
Post by: pizza1512 on January 27, 2005, 08:56:42 AM

Isn't it C₆₀?...


 :punch:

Title: Re:Bucky Balls
Post by: ATMyller on January 28, 2005, 03:07:28 AM

Quote from: pizza1512 on January 27, 2005, 08:56:42 AM

Isn't it C₆₀?...

There are diffrent sized buckyballs ranging from C₂₈ to around C₂₄₀. C₆₀ Being the most common one.

Title: Re:Bucky Balls
Post by: puru on February 03, 2005, 11:23:41 AM

Perhaps this might help

Title: Re:Bucky Balls
Post by: hroch on April 04, 2005, 04:09:48 PM

That's not the complete "fullerene zoo", I'm afraid:) -  that page gives you a better idea...though it's not complete either.

http://www.jcrystal.com/steffenweber/gallery/Fullerenes/Fullerenes.html