杏吧原创

THE smallest buckyball, C₂₈, could be the world鈥檚 first
superconductor that works at room temperature, say physicists at the University
of Milan in Italy.

Superconductivity is thought to occur when the passage of electron pairs
through a material coincides with the passage of
phonons鈥攙ibrations鈥攊n the crystal structure. Because the C₂₈
molecule is so tightly curved, phonons 鈥渞esonate鈥� with electrons much
more strongly than usual.

The physicists calculate that these resonances would allow C₂₈ to
superconduct at temperatures eight times as high as its better known cousin,
C₆₀ (Physical Review B, vol 62, p 130). Since C₆₀
superconducts at up to 40 K, C₂₈ might superconduct at up to 320 K (47
掳颁).