Au32:: A 24-carat golden fullerene

Golden balls! Relativistic quantum chemical theory suggests the existence of an interesting and surprising gold cluster. The all-gold fullerene Au 32 (see picture) is structurally very similar to the familiar buckminsterfullerene C60, as it is approximately the same size and hollow. Au32 is stabilized by relativistic effects and spherical aromaticity; the magnetic shielding at the center of the fullerene has the highest predicted value.