University of Surrey researchers have found a way to make ultra-small, pure carbon crystals formed entirely from the spherical carbon ‘buckyball’ molecule C60.

The method involves mixing two liquids together – one of which contains C60, at low temperature. Lozenge shaped crystals can be quickly obtained with widths down to 80nm – around 100,000 times smaller than the width of a pencil, and much smaller than previously thought possible with this method.

The electronic properties of the C60 molecules that make up the small crystals are particularly important to the development of new nanoelectronic devices such as solar cells and gas sensors. It is therefore possible this advance could allow researchers to accelerate the development of these nanotechnologies based on this simple method of creating high purity, ultra small C60 components.

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