Boron buckminsterfullerene

Fullerenes, spherical molecules made entirely of carbon atoms, have played a foundational role in the birth of nanoscience. Despite extensive research, however, comparable structures composed of other elements have remained elusive, highlighting the unique bonding properties of carbon that enable the formation of such remarkable nanoscale architectures. Here we report the observation of an 80-atom boron fullerene using photoelectron spectroscopy. The photoelectron spectrum of B₈₀ ^- reveals a surprisingly simple spectral pattern, suggesting a high symmetry B₈₀ cluster with a sizable energy gap. Among the low-lying structures, only the simulated spectrum of the B₈₀ ^- buckyball is found to agree with the experimental result. We show that the electronic structure and chemical bonding of the B₈₀ buckyball closely mimic those of the C₆₀ buckminsterfullerene. The discovery of the B₈₀ boron buckminsterfullerene will stimulate its bulk synthesis and pave the way for the development of potential boron-fullerene chemistry and materials.