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The Most Beautiful Molecule

"The molecule, buckminsterfullerene, is beautiful physically and intellectually. Its qualities, and even some of its properties, can be appreciated instantly and intuitively by nonscientists. Its uniqueness is bound to lead to novel applications-superconductivity is the leading contender at the moment."

"The commercial potential of buckminsterfullerene has heightened the excitement and controversy in recent years, while the exact nature of the discovery process in 1985 has been the subject of a heated feud between the British and American scientists involved."-Hugh Aldersey-Williams

Ten years ago, the discovery of buckminsterfullerene, a previously unknown form of carbon, stunned the scientific community, as much for the discovery itself as for the manner in which it came about. In the words of author Hugh Aldersey-Williams, it was an example of "classic bootleg science". The work was done on the back of other, funded projects, and when time would allow. Yet its commercial implications are probably immense.

Now, with objectivity and insight, The Most Beautiful Molecule recounts the events leading up to this momentous discovery and chronicles the ongoing, often frenzied aftermath. Hugh Aldersey-Williams leads us on a thrilling expedition to the very forefront of modern chemistry research.

Houston, Texas, 1985. Two industrious chemists discover a previously unknown form of carbon and christen it buckminsterfullerene, for its striking resemblance to American architect Richard Buckminster Fuller's geodesic domes. This unusual molecule-also known as the buckyball-is composed of 60 carbon atoms arranged in a hollow sphere, with hexagonal and pentagonal configurations similar to those found on a soccer ball. Its near-perfect symmetry is just one reason why scientists have since dubbed it "the most beautiful molecule."

The discovery of buckminsterfullerene-by American physicist and chemist Richard Smalley and British physical chemist Harry Kroto-rocked the scientific community. After all, generations believed graphite and diamond to be the only pure forms of carbon. How had this third form gone undetected?

In fact, the actual discovery was merely the beginning of an intense-and ongoing-quest to master this newest form of the most basic of elements. Confirmation would take five years and launch an unprecedented flood of investigation and investment. The unique physical structure of buckminsterfullerene-a "cage" into which atoms of other materials may be inserted-had huge commercial potential and inspired scientists, industrial laboratories, and corporations alike. Backed by such giants as AT&T, DuPont, Exxon, and IBM, a highly competitive search for practical applications began-and continues. Possibilities range from the creation of a revolutionary rocket fuel to nanotechnology-the construction of microscopic "molecular machines"-to developments in the fight against AIDS.

Here, then, is a fascinating, multilayered look at one of the most important scientific findings of our time. The Most Beautiful Molecule is a brain-teasing detective story, a marvelously detailed, inside look at the workings of the scientific community, and an exciting contemplation of what lies ahead. From the forefront of research in modern chemistry, author Hugh Aldersey-Williams offers, in his own words, "a celebration of the intimate world of physical science and its practitioners."

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Making Molecules
• September 1985
• The Search for the Yellow Vial
• On Symmetry and the Sexagesimal
• The Fuller View
• The Chemical Senses
• The Chemist-Stylites
• September 1990
• The Peak of Perfection
• "My Lords, What Does It Do?"
• The Molecular Architects
• Epilogue: Spot the Ball
• Notes and References
• Index

Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

Library Journal Review

In the last ten years, buckminsterfullerene‘better known as the buckyball‘has become a celebrity among chemicals. Part of the reason is its eye-catching structure, which is shaped like a soccer ball, but it is also scientifically intriguing. Although the author (a frequent contributor to popular science periodicals) suggests that it represents one of the greatest discoveries in chemistry, he admits it has not yet delivered on part of its potential, especially for commercial applications. Nonetheless, he presents a lively and colorful story of the research in the field as well as the personalities, pressures, and conflicts. Scientists may prefer the more thorough treatment of the topic in Jim Baggott's Perfect Symmetry: The Accidental Discovery of a New Form of Carbon (Oxford Univ. Pr., 1994), but anyone interested in the current events of science will find this book entertaining and informative. Recommended for public and academic libraries.‘Jan Williams, Monsanto Co., St. Louis (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

Aldersey-Williams offers an excellent, well-written account of the ideas and people behind the discovery of Buckminsterfullerene that will be enjoyable reading for a wide audience. He details the process and personal interactions among the principals behind the 1985 discovery of this third form of carbon. But the book offers much more than a delightful recounting of this discovery, as the author also spends entire chapters describing important background information necessary for understanding it. For example, a chapter on R. Buckminster Fuller provides a brief biography of this innovative thinker for whom the molecule is named. Another chapter gives a concise but complete account of different types of spectroscopy that were important in identifying C60 as a unique and novel species. A further chapter discusses symmetry and mathematical properties of the truncated icosahedron (the C60 soccer-ball structure). These chapters are written at a level understandable to beginning students, offering a history lesson as a bonus. An excellent introduction to scientific research, well worth the price. Undergraduate through faculty. M. Rossi Vassar College

Booklist Review

The chemical discovery of the century may well be a spherical molecule of 60 carbon atoms, named, because of its structure, Buckminsterfullerene, or buckyball, after the popularizer of the geodesic dome. Its novelty and utility, and that which sets it apart from ephemeral clusters of atoms, lie in its architectural symmetry and its stable chemical bonds. Thus, a summary of relevant electronic bonding principles precedes the historical chronology that deftly conveys the uncertainty, elation, and skepticism that attended the serendipitous detection in 1985 of this C60 molecule. Surprisingly, five frustrating years were to elapse before spectroscopic verification of its structure and the sudden parallel breakthroughs by separate investigators to practical methods of producing useful amounts of C60, as well as molecules of 60 carbon atoms, generically called fullerenes. The author speculates on potential applications of fullerenes, particularly when bonded to dissimilar elements, and examines the fruitful symbiosis of science and technology. --Brenda Grazis

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Hugh Aldersey-Williams is an author and journalist from the United Kingdom. Aldersey-Williams was educated at Highgate School and studied the natural sciences at the University of Cambridge. he is known for his bestselling book, Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements, from Arsenic to Zinc, which explains all the elements found in the periodic table and their origins. He has also written The Most Beautiful Molecule and Anatomies: A Cultural History of the Human Body.

(Bowker Author Biography)