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What's Fullerene?

Fullerene is a molucle in which only carbon atoms are arranged in a structure like that of a soccer ball. After graphite and diamond, it is "The third" carbon allotrope.

Structure of Fullerene

ShungiteFullerene was discovered in 1985 through a collaborative research study by Rice University, U.S. and the University of Sussex, U.K. In 1996 the researchers were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery. Its symmetric structure has attracted many researchers, and various kinds of studies have been conducted all around the world.

Though discovered in 1985, fullerene was later found to have also been in nature since the dawn of time. Fullerene was found in a stone called “Shungite” mined in the Republic of Karelia, Russia, which is a famous place of the Moomin Valley near the Norwegian border—it was the first clarification of its existence on Earth. Shungite has been used in that area as a healing stone for a long time. In the 16th century, the emperor at the time established a sanatorium where legend has it that illnesses healed quickly with treatment. One theory has it that this stone originates from a meteorite which came from space two billion years ago. Since its origin has not been clarified the stone’s existence is a mystery.

It was found that fullerene has anti-oxidative power, and so a variety of applications were expected. However, fullerene is composed of carbon only and so it is not soluble in water at all. This property was a big barrier. After much trial and error, we have completed to develop the world’s first water-soluble cosmetic raw material formulated with fullerene in 2005.