fullerene

ful·ler·ene  (fl-rn)

n.

Any of various cagelike, hollow molecules composed of hexagonal and pentagonal groups of atoms, and especially those formed from carbon, that constitute the third form of carbon after diamond and graphite.

---

[After Richard Buckminster Fuller (from the resemblance of their configurations to his geodesic domes) + -ene.]

---

fullerene  (fl-rn)

Any of various carbon molecules that are nearly spherical in shape, are composed of hexagonal, pentagonal, or heptagonal groups of atoms, and constitute the third form of pure carbon after diamond and graphite. See more at buckminsterfullerene.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

fullerene - a form of carbon having a large molecule consisting of an empty cage of sixty or more carbon atoms chemical science, chemistry - the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions buckminsterfullerene, buckyball - a spheroidal fullerene; the first known example of a fullerene carbon nanotube, nanotube - a fullerene molecule having a cylindrical or toroidal shape atomic number 6, carbon, C - an abundant nonmetallic tetravalent element occurring in three allotropic forms: amorphous carbon and graphite and diamond; occurs in all organic compounds