This manual, titled "C60: Buckminsterfullerene: Some Inside Stories," is a compendium of personal accounts from various scientists who played a significant role in the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of C60 buckminsterfullerene. The introduction provides a rational framework for understanding the discovery and emphasizes the importance of earlier technical breakthroughs and the contributions of young researchers at the time. Additionally, the book includes reprints of key publications related to the discovery.
More than just personal accounts, this manual offers an in-depth overview of the cross-disciplinary advances from laboratory synthesis, molecular spectroscopy, radioastronomy, stellar chemistry, and cluster chemistry that were crucial to the discovery. It highlights the unpredictable nature of major breakthroughs and underscores the value of fundamental science and the need for continued support.
