Science is reporting those clever chemists have come up with
a 6 step chemical synthesis combined with UV laser irradiation
that produces C60.
Boorum, M. M., et al, "Groundwork for a Rational Synthesis of C60:
Cyclodehydrogenation of a C60H30 Polyarene"
Science 294(5543):828-831 (26 Oct 2001).
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/reprint/294/5543/828.pdf
This may provide an interesting path for mass production of atoms
or molecules caged within buckyballs -- something that might yield
some very interesting materials.
Now if they can just pull off the same trick with long buckytubes,
*then* we would have some really slick new toys to play with.
I'm not optimistic the method can be used with buckytubes though.
Robert
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