Graphene encapsulation provides unprecedented view of diffusion and rotation of fullerene molecule

Scientists have created a new structure by encapsulating a single layer of fullerene molecules between two graphene sheets. Buckyball sandwiches combine fullerenes and graphene. This structure allows to study the dynamics of the trapped molecules down to atomic resolution using scanning transmission electron microscopy. They report observing diffusion of individual molecules confined in the two-dimensional space and even find evidence for the rotation of isolated fullerenes within the structure.