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

“You could argue it wasn’t any of our areas of interest,” James R. Heath, a graduate student of Dr. Smalley’s who performed many of the buckyball experiments, said in an interview.

From New York Times • Jul. 20, 2022

While Dr. Kroto and Dr. Smalley pursued further buckyball research, Dr. Curl soon moved on to other areas of interest.

From New York Times • Jul. 20, 2022

The buckyball discovery also was key in the development of nanotubes, essentially graphite rolled into atomic-level cylinders, used as super-efficient pathways for electricity and thermal exchange.

From Washington Post • Jul. 6, 2022

Harold Kroto, 76, who shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering a new arrangement of carbon known as the buckyball, died on Saturday, April 30, in East Sussex, England.

From Seattle Times • May 6, 2016

Other items on the buckyball wish list include tiny ball bearings, featherweight batteries and wires perhaps only one molecule thick.

From Time Magazine Archive