Scientists Unravel the Formation of Classic Soccer Ball-Shaped Molecules

The notion that fullerene and its derivatives could naturally occur in the universe has been speculated for quite some time. These compounds are sizable carbon molecules, taking on shapes akin to a soccer ball, a salad bowl, or a nanotube. An international team of researchers using the Swiss SLS synchrotron light source at PSI has shown how this reaction works. Their findings were recently published in the journal Nature Communications.