Two experiments that impacted the fate of fullerenes

Abstract

In this viewpoint, the first separation, isolation and characterization of C₆₀ and C₇₀ molecules carried out by Kroto as well as their separation by using non-covalent interactions involving the host–guest concept with cyclodextrins by Wennerstrom are discussed; whereas the first paper described fullerenes as a huge family of new nanoforms of carbon, the second one paved the way to the supramolecular chemistry of fullerenes.