How many fullerenes are present in a glass of water exposed to shungite? I have been asked these and similar questions by many people who have used shungite. My answer is this: I do not know.

The topic of fullerenes in shungite is very complex. Although you can often read online that shungite contains fullerenes, this is hard to prove. It is impossible to count the number of fullerenes.

But what are fullerenes?

Fullerenes are hollow, closed carbon atom molecules located in the vertices of the right pentagons and hexagons. They are a modification of the chemical element of carbon, along with such as diamond or graphite (Source: Wikipedia).

For the first time, fullerenes were found in space. Astrophysicists were fascinated by the ideal form of a molecular structure. They wanted to recreate them in earthly conditions. Researchers who managed to do was received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1996. Fullerene molecule forms a closed C60 carbon structure; That is, it includes 60 carbon atoms. It has the symmetry of a dull Icosahedron. To understand how Fullerene looks like, imagine a soccer ball, only very, very small.

Does a fullerene really look like a ball?

Although it is common to depict the fullerene with this figure, you cannot see it even under the strongest microscope. We are talking about a model that has been calculated by scientists. The fullerene contour can only be detected using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). However, this modern technology does not allow us to see its atomic structure.

How big is the fullerene?

A fullerene is 1-2 nanometers (nm) in height, which is roughly the diameter of a DNA helix. One meter is exactly 1,000,000,000 nm. The ratio of the size of fullerene to the diameter of a human hair (80,000,000 nm) is approximately equal to the ratio of an ant (3 mm) to the height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (300 m).

What is the purpose of fullerenes?

Fullerenes are an important discovery for humanity; because they help us better understand nature and matter. Currently, there are many successful examples of the use of fullerenes in machinery, medicine and many other areas.

Despite all the difficulties and unresolved problems, humanity, using its knowledge, is progressing very fast. The future will undoubtedly bring interesting discoveries regarding applications of fullerenes.

How important are fullerenes in shungite?

Shungite is a special stone. People in Karelia used it as a reliable protective stone or stone for water purification long before science discovered fullerene. Even today, few shungite users are interested in scientific explanations. Most importantly, stone makes water alive and protects us from negative influences. When some people see the reason for this as the presence of fullerenes and others talk about life energy, Personally, I think it is not that important. It is much more important to understand how to properly use this unique mineral.

Sven Shtrecker