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    Section I
    Introduction

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* Index *

    * Rationale <#IRationale>
    * Audience <#IAudience>
    * Core Concepts <#ICConcepts>
    * Learning Strategies <#ILStrategies>
    * Materials to be Ordered <#IMaterials>

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   1. Rationale

      Buckyball was named "Molecule of the Year" for 1991 by /Science/
      magazine. In the December 20, 1991, issue of /Science/, the
      Editors made the following observations: "Fullerene science
      exhibits the classic profile of a major scientific breakthrough.
      Buckyballs were found by accident by researchers asking a
      completely different question. Then they were steadily explored -
      until they became widely available and the field exploded. Now,
      buckyball scientists are enjoying the exponential phase, in which
      almost everything is new and the unexpected is the expected.
      Eventually, the action will focus on a few promising research
      veins and the practical applications will bloom" (Koshland, Jr.,
      1991).

      Since 1991, the pace of discovery in fullerene science has
      continued to accelerate. Researchers around the world are
      exploring both the basic science and potential applications of
      fullerenes. And the field has spawned important new areas of
      exploration, including carbon nanotubes and nanowires. In 1996,
      the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to the co-discoverers of
      C, Richard Smalley, Robert Curl and Harry Kroto.

      One goal of this module is to give students a feeling for how
      science is actually done and a taste of the excitement of
      scientific discovery. We believe that fullerene science provides
      an ideal vehicle for communicating that excitement; it is timely,
      rapidly-evolving, multidisciplinary, and even appealing on an
      aesthetic level.

      Index <#index>

   2. Audience

      The module is intended for students in freshman-level general
      chemistry. It requires some prior knowledge of chemical bonding,
      particularly the types of bonding exhibited by carbon.

      Index <#index>

   3. Core Concepts

      Among the chemical concepts introduced in this module are:
      molecular structure, symmetry, resonance, delocalization,
      solid-state structure, electronic structure, modern spectroscopy
      (MS, IR, UV, NMR, Single Crystal X-ray Diffraction),
      chromatography, chemical reactivity, and synthesis. Although some
      "background material" is provided in the module, a supplementary
      text is recommended. Particularly important is supplementary
      material on the spectroscopic techniques.

      Index <#index>

   4. Learning Strategies

      One key feature of the module is hands-on model building. Each
      student will have access to a set of Cochrane's Molecular Models
      (sp carbon centers and bonds), which will allow them to build C
      and C and to explore other isomeric possibilities. A second key
      feature of the module is the use of original literature. Important
      papers will be made available to the students and these will form
      the basis for lectures and class discussions.

      Index <#index>

   5. Materials to be Ordered

      One set of Cochrane's Molecular Models should be ordered for each
      student. The required items, available through Aldrich Chemical
      Co., P.O. Box 2060, Milwaukee, WI 53201, are:

      Z12, 725-6	100 sp atom centers 	$8.60
      Z18, 463-2		800 minit-size green bond tubes
      (each 2.5 cm long)	$10.90

      Several students could split the set of 800 bond tubes.

      Index <#index>

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