buckyball

American  

[buhk-ee-bawl] / ˈbʌk iˌbɔl /

noun

1. Informal.  a single molecule of buckminsterfullerene.

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buckyball British  

/ ˈbʌkɪˌbɔːl /

noun

1. informal  a ball-like polyhedral carbon molecule of the type found in buckminsterfullerene and other fullerenes

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buckyball Scientific  

/ bŭk′ē-bôl′ /

1. See buckminsterfullerene

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Etymology

Origin of buckyball

1985-90; after R. Buckminster Fuller; -y ², ball ¹

Example Sentences

It turned out that the Exxon experiments had also created small numbers of buckyballs, but those researchers had overlooked them in their data.

From New York Times

The strength and stability of buckyballs — in 60-atom form and bigger — has offered dozens of possible uses because of their shape and electron-bonding properties.

From Washington Post

He recalls that in the mid-1980s, when scientists first created “buckyball” spheres made of 60 carbon atoms, “there was the same degree of skepticism, despite all the evidence.”

From Science Magazine

With three bonds, it transforms into sheetlike graphite or graphene, 3D nanotubes, or even soccer ball–shaped buckyballs.

From Science Magazine

Historically, materials that revolutionized technology, including tungsten light-bulb filaments, penicillin, Teflon and C60 buckyballs, were found through a combination of intuition, trial and error and lucky mishaps.

From Nature