Corannulene — a carbon molecule with molecular shape similar to fullerene (C60) — has properties that could be ideal for building molecule-size circuits, a team of scientists fromSISSA, the University of Zurich, and the University of Nova Gorica in Slovenia has found in theoretical studies.

Imagine taking a fullerene sphere and cutting it in half like a melon. What you get is a corannulene (C20H10) molecule.

The study has just been published in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics.

Fullerene is formed of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal network, shaped like a hollow sphere. Fullerene is known to contain “buckybowl superatom states” (BSS), which are capable of accepting electrons (needed for electronic circuits), but these states are found at very high energies, making them difficult to exploit in electronic devices.

Corannulene molecules can function at almost ten times lower energy than fullerene, making them attractive candidates for nanoscale electronic circuits, the researchers note.