Abstract
Fullerene, which is a carbon allotrope in nanolattice structure, was detected in the IR (infrared) band of ISM (interstellar medium) in 1985 before it was synthesized on earth. Fullerene synthesis, which brought the Nobel Prize to Kroto, Curl and Smalley in 1996, both contributed to the developments in the field of nanotechnology and the molecule's ISM discoveries were accelerated since it entered the astrochemistry literature as the largest molecule. Data from space telescopes since 2010 found that C60 is more present in planetary nebula regions. In the cosmic environment, C60's ability to be caged with He and other heavier elements allows it to be distinguished from PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), which have a wide bandgap in their spectra. By combining observational, theoretical and laboratory data, synthetic spectra for He@C60+ (fullerene caged with He) can be generated and C60 regions can be detected in the interstellar medium.
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