A NON-FULLERENE FORM OF C-60 AND LAYERED METAL-DOPED C-60 SOLID

As a consequence of intermolecular collisions or internal strain, we suggest a "barrel"-type shape of the C60 molecules instead of a spherical (fullerene) form. The stretched C60 version has the same number of hexagonal and pentagonal faces like C60 fullerene, but differs from the latter by a six-fold symmetry axis and a mirror plane perpendicular to this axis. It is shown that the various experimental findings which cannot be explained within the fullerene model are well understood when assuming a barrel-like shape for C60.