Diffraction Symmetry in Crystalline, Close-Packed C60

We have grown crystals of the carbon structure C60 by sublimation. In contrast to solution-grown crystals, the sublimed crystals have long range order with no evidence of solvent inclusions. Sublimed C60 forms three dimensional, faceted crystals with a close-packed, face-centered cubic unit cell. We have refined a crystal structure using the "soccer ball" model of the C60 molecule. The results indicate that the C60 molecule has the expected spherical shape, however the data are not sufficiently accurate to unambiguously determine atomic positions

Superconductivity at 28 K in RbxC60

Meissner-effect and microwave-absorption measurements on bulk samples show that RbxC60 is superconducting with a maximum transition temperature of 28 K. This is a 10-K (60%) increase over the K-doped material. Only Ba0.6K0.4BiO3 and the cuprate superconductors have higher transition temperatures.