Fullerene: Spitzer Discovered Buckyballs

A Spherical Molecule in Space

In 2010, the Spitzer Space Telescope, specialized in infrared observation, detected an unprecedented spectral signature in a planetary nebula named Tc 1, located approximately 6,500 light-years away. It corresponded to that of a fullerene — a spherical molecule composed of 60 carbon atoms (C₆₀) arranged like the vertices of a soccer ball. This structure had been synthesized on Earth in 1985 and named "buckminsterfullerene," or "buckyball," in honor of architect Buckminster Fuller. It was the first time such a complex molecule had been observed in an astrophysical environment.

Astrophysical Implications of Fullerenes

Complex molecules polymerize and assemble to form all the structures useful to the cell, and thus to life. These monomers are largely composed of carbon. Hence the importance of the discovery of buckyballs.

Fullerenes have remarkable chemical stability, capable of withstanding extreme energetic environments. Their detection in space raises fundamental questions about the chemistry of carbon within dying stars. Spitzer's spectroscopic signatures, centered around 7.0, 8.5, 17.4, and 18.9 µm, confirmed their presence in several regions, notably in carbon-rich dust envelopes. This implies that the formation of complex molecules does not necessarily require the presence of life or water but can result from the simple cooling of stellar carbonaceous matter.

Materials for Tomorrow's Technologies

Buckyballs also attract the interest of materials physicists. In the laboratory, fullerenes possess exceptional electronic, mechanical, and optical properties. They are studied in the field of nanotechnologies to create superconductors, contrast agents for medical imaging, or molecular cages capable of transporting drugs. The fact that nature spontaneously produces these molecules in space opens exciting perspectives on prebiotic chemistry and the potential of interstellar materials.

Shungite and Fulgurite: Terrestrial Fullerenes

Natural Fullerenes: Hidden Treasures in Shungite and Fulgurites

Although fullerenes were identified in space thanks to Spitzer, their existence on Earth had been suggested since the 1990s. Shungite, a carbonaceous rock over two billion years old found in Karelia (Russia), naturally contains traces of C₆₀ and C₇₀. Its amorphous structure contains spherical carbon aggregates analogous to buckyballs. Similarly, some fulgurites — silica tubes formed by lightning striking silicate-rich soil — have revealed the presence of fullerenes, resulting from the extreme energy released during the impact. These terrestrial occurrences suggest that transient but energetic conditions can suffice to form these structures, without biological intervention, confirming their naturalness in very diverse environments.

N.B.: Shungite is an organic mineral found only in one place in the world: in northwestern Russia, in Karelia, in the Shunga region near the White Sea, on the shores of Lake Onega. The name Shungite originates from the region where this stone is extracted. It is sometimes called Schungite, chungite, or shungit.

N.B.: Fulgurites or "lightning stones" (from the Latin fulgur, meaning lightning) are very fragile pieces of natural glass, generally in the form of a nearly cylindrical hollow tube, produced by lightning strikes on rock.

Fullerene: An Interdisciplinary Discovery

The detection of fullerenes in space by Spitzer demonstrates the importance of interfaces between chemistry, physics, and astronomy. These complex molecules, previously confined to terrestrial laboratories, now appear as natural constituents of the interstellar medium. This discovery reinforces the idea that organic matter, in the form of sophisticated structures, can emerge in extreme environments, well before the appearance of life, and can travel on galactic scales. Buckyballs are thus much more than a curiosity: they are a bridge between stars and atoms.