The identification of the C60 molecule as a stable structure with the symmetry of a football redefined the known allotropes of carbon. Harold Kroto, alongside colleagues Robert Curl and Richard Smalley, established this discovery in 1985 through experiments simulating chemical reactions within the atmospheres of red giant stars, fundamentally altering the landscape of material science.
Early Development and Academic Foundation
Born in Wisbech in 1939 to refugee parents, Kroto spent his youth in Bolton. His early interest in mechanical structures was fostered by his experience with Meccano sets. He attended the University of Sheffield, where he earned a BSc in 1961 and a PhD in molecular spectroscopy in 1964. During his doctoral years, he focused on carbon chains and phosphaalkenes, laying the early groundwork for his lifelong study of multiple bonds in carbon-based chemistry.
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Kroto joined the University of Sussex in 1967, where he spent nearly four decades as a researcher and teacher, eventually becoming a full professor in 1975. His work involved the spectroscopic detection of unstable chemical species. Collaborations with John Nixon led to the emergence of phosphaalkene and phosphaalkyne chemistry. In the mid-1970s, his research extended into radio astronomy, where he confirmed the existence of complex carbonaceous chains in interstellar space and the atmospheres of red giant stars.
The Fullerene Discovery and Subsequent Research
The 1985 laser experiments at Rice University confirmed that C60 molecules could condense from carbon vapour. Kroto named the structure buckminsterfullerene, drawing a parallel to the geodesic dome designs of Buckminster Fuller. This finding earned him the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In 2004, he moved to Florida State University as the Francis Eppes Professor of Chemistry, where he continued his investigations into carbon vapour until his death in 2016.
Scientific Leadership and Advocacy
Beyond his laboratory research, Kroto held several significant administrative and honorary positions, including president of the Royal Society of Chemistry from 2002 to 2004. He was an outspoken proponent of science education and a critic of religious dogma. A staunch atheist and humanist, he signed the 2003 Humanist Manifesto and the 2015 Mainau Declaration regarding climate change.
Fast facts
- Born: 1939, Wisbech
- Died: 2016, Lewes
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry: 1996
- Copley Medal: 2004
- Academic Home: University of Sussex
- Final Position: Francis Eppes Professor of Chemistry, Florida State University
- Burial Site: Clayton Wood Natural Burial Ground
- Primary Field: Molecular Spectroscopy
Questions readers ask
What is the primary scientific contribution of Harry Kroto?
He co-discovered fullerenes, specifically the C60 molecule, which provided a new allotrope of carbon with a geodesic structure.
Where did Kroto spend the majority of his academic career?
He spent approximately 40 years teaching and conducting research at the University of Sussex before joining Florida State University in 2004.
Achievements
- Copley Medal — 2004
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry — 1996
- Affiliated with University of Sussex and Florida State University
- Educated at University of Sheffield
- Worked as chemist, university teacher and scientist
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