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What properties make fullerenes useful for materials and energy-storage devices?

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A labeled diagram of the periodic table entry for carbon, showing its atomic number 6, symbol C, electron configuration, atomic weight range, solid physical state, hexagonal crystal structure, and weakly acidic oxide properties. Color coding and icons indicate it is a nonmetal, solid at room temperature, with hexagonal structure and weak acidity. — carbon Carbon and its properties.

Fullerenes, which include hollow, closed-cage molecules known as "buckyballs" and cylindrical "nanotubes," possess unique structural and electronic properties that make them highly promising for advanced materials and energy-storage technologies.12

Properties for Energy Storage and Electronics

The C $_{60}$ molecule is particularly notable for its ability to readily accept and donate electrons, a behavior that suggests significant potential for use in batteries and other advanced electronic devices. Furthermore, certain crystalline compounds formed by C $_{60}$ with alkali metals and alkaline earth metals exhibit superconductivity at relatively high temperatures, a rare trait for molecular systems.1

Properties for Advanced Materials

Carbon nanotubes are recognized for their exceptional physical characteristics, which include:
* Mechanical Strength: They possess an astonishing tensile strength, with the potential to be 50 to 100 times stronger than steel at a fraction of the weight.23
* Conductivity: They serve as excellent conductors of both heat and electricity.2
* Structural Integrity: Because microscopic defects are less likely to propagate across bundles of nanotubes, these materials may bypass the limitations of conventional structural materials.3