From: Geoff Ruth (gruth@uclink4.berkeley.edu)
Date: Thu Dec 28 2000 - 10:52:13 PST
Message-Id: <v04011702b6713b46ac61@[128.32.190.180]> Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2000 10:52:13 -0800 From: Geoff Ruth <gruth@uclink4.berkeley.edu> Subject: Buckyballs
Hello,
One of my students asked me about the structure of fullerenes last
semester, and I haven't been able to find the answer to his question. As I
understand it, each carbon atom is joined to three other carbon atoms by
single bonds. That would leave the carbon atom's valence shell unfilled
with only 7 electrons. Is one of these bonds actually a double bond that
has a resonance with the other bonds? Can anyone help me with the structure
of one of these fullerene compounds?
Another great question the student asked is why you can't have N60 instead
of C60. With 5 valence electrons, an N atom ought to be able to bond w/ 3
other atoms, forming large structures like buckyballs. Does the answer to
this have something to do with N's lone pair leaving it open to chemical
attack?
Help!
-Geoff
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Oct 16 2001 - 12:22:06 PDT