The fullerenes – new allotropic forms of carbon: molecular and electronic structure, and chemical properties

In the early 1970s Osawa (and also Bochvar and Gal'pern) theoretically discussed the possibility of the existence of polyhedral carbon clusters, and predicted some of their properties. In 1985 it was established by spectral methods that carbon clusters containing an even number of atoms (mainly C₆₀ and C₇₀ ) are formed under certain conditions when graphite is evaporated under the influence of laser radiation. These discoveries stimulated extensive studies of the synthesis of polyhedral carbon clusters of various molecular masses, and descriptions of their molecular and electronic structures and of their chemical properties. The most important results achieved in these areas of research are reviewed. The bibliography includes 194 references.