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Where have fullerenes been found naturally on Earth?
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fullerene
Two fullerene structures: an elongated carbon nanotube and a spherical buckminsterfullerene, or “buckyball.”
Although fullerenes were first synthesized in a laboratory setting, they have since been discovered to occur naturally on Earth in small quantities. They have been identified in the following locations and materials:1
- Geologic sites: Fullerenes have been found in meta-anthracite, fulgurites, and clays dating to the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in New Zealand, Spain, and Turkmenistan.2
- Mining areas: They have been detected in organic-rich layers located near the nickel mine in Sudbury, Canada.2
- Extraterrestrial sources: Minute samples of endohedral fullerenes (such as He@C) have been found at various geologic sites, and they have also been identified in meteorites, which may provide insights into the origins of those bodies.31