Design of a C60 Structural Model Based on Transistors Linked With Plastic Tubes

Abstract

Buckminsterfullerene (C60), along with diamond and graphite, appears in many chemistry textbooks as an example of an allotrope of carbon. This communication describes a hands-on activity to explore the characteristic structure of C60 through the construction of a structural model using transistors and plastic tubes (heat-shrink and silicone). Transistors resemble sp2 carbons when their three electrodes are spread 120° in relation to each other. The heat-shrink tube is suitable for connecting thin electrodes of transistors. By connecting 60 transistors using 90 precut plastic tubes, a C60 model can be built that costs about 2.1 USD. This activity was carried out with nonchemistry majors using a remote lecture system. The participants enjoyed constructing their C60 models and were challenged to estimate the diameter of an actual C60 molecule using the models that they had built.