起初人們認為這種高度對稱的完美分子只能在實驗室的苛刻條件下或者是星際塵埃中存在,然而1992年美國科學家P. R. Buseck在用高分辨透無線電鏡研究俄羅斯數億年前的地下的一種名為Shungites的礦石時,發現了C60和C70的存在,飛行時間質譜也證明了他們的結論,產生原因未知[3]。2010年加拿大西安大略大學科學家在6500光年以外的宇宙星雲中發現了C60存在的證據,他們通過史匹哲太空望遠鏡發現了C60特定的信號。克羅托說:「這個最令人興奮的突破給我們提供了令人信服的證據:正如我們一直期盼的那樣,巴克球在宇宙的亙古前就存在了。」[27]
由於C60分子獨特的剛性球狀結構,發展能夠與其高效結合的特定主體是一件很有意義的工作,二十多年來科學家們樂此不疲地用新奇的化合物和有趣的方式將其包起來得到包含物和嵌合物,在富勒烯的主客體化學方面進行了大量的研究並取得了長足的進展,發展了一系列主體化合物,大致分為富π電子化合物和大環主體兩類;前者有二茂鐵、卟啉、酞菁、四硫富瓦烯、苝、碗烯和帶狀多共軛體系等的衍生物,後者有環糊精、杯芳烴、氮雜杯芳烴,長鏈烷烴和低聚物等的衍生物。[92]迄今與富勒烯分子超分子結合力最強的是相田卓三教授合成的卟啉籠分子,在鄰二氯苯中與C60的結合常數為Log Ka = 8.11。[93]
在流行文化中的富勒烯元素很多,並且在科學家關注它們之前就出現了。在《新科學家》雜誌中,曾經每周有瓊斯(David E. H. Jones)寫的叫做《地達拉斯》(Daedalus)的專欄來描述各種有趣但很難實現的科學和技術。1966年,他建議可能通過摻雜雜原子來扭曲一個平面的六邊形組成的網來得到一個中空的碳球分子。[116]
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