Small Solids Look Different
Nanoscience would be boring if small things were just like big
things. Luckily they are not. Pencil lead, graphite for example takes on
all sorts of interesting shapes if it is kept from becoming a big solid.
The Many Shapes of Carbon
When carbon is a pure solid it typically is found as graphite or even rarer
as diamond. However, on the nanoscale carbon takes on very different
structures! Rick Smalley, Bob Curl and Harry Kroto won the 1996 Nobel Prize
in Chemistry for the discovery of C60. Check out
Dr. Smalley's web page for
the latest in carbon nanoscience!