Boron equivalent of buckminsterfullerene finally observed after decades of research
By 
Frances Briggs2026-06-03T09:08:00
Careful control of cluster cooling conditions enables resolution of long-sought photoelectron spectrum, but DFT confirmation remains elusive
After 20 years of painstaking research, scientists finally have spectroscopic evidence that they have isolated an 80-atom boron analogue of buckminsterfullerene, the football-shaped C60 carbon cage. Their B80- spectrum is surprisingly simple and indicates a high symmetry complex with a considerable energy gap.