Bucky Ball Free 3D model

cgtrader

This 3D model originally began life in Sketchup 8 before being converted to a variety of other formats for widespread use. The native format remains .skp, while the 3dsmax scene utilizes the latest version 2016 and rendering capabilities were powered by Vray 3.00. Bucky Ball models come complete with separate layers detailing individual carbon atoms along with bounds for added precision. I recently stumbled upon a similar design from Google after completing the core structure - what a pleasant coincidence! In my opinion, this molecular shape exudes great beauty. Known scientifically as Buckminsterfullerene (C60), it is indeed a spherical molecule with a straightforward chemical formula of C60. First created in 1985 by Harold Kroto and his colleagues at Rice University - which included James Heath, Sean O'Brien, Robert Curl, and Richard Smalley - buckminsterfullerene paved the way for a whole class of molecules referred to as fullerenes. As recognition of their groundbreaking discovery, Kroto, Curl, and Smalley received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry back in 1996. The term 'buckminsterfullerene' itself serves as an homage to Richard Buckminster Fuller's iconic geodesic domes - whose symmetrical design these molecules strikingly resemble. Initially, buckminsterfullerene was the first ever discovered fullerene molecule and continues to remain relatively common in nature due to its occurrence in tiny quantities of soot.