Gold fullerene uses as nanoparticle seeds (IMAGE) Rice University Caption Chemists in Matthew Jones’ lab at Rice University discovered that gold fullerenes (center) are one and the same as “seed” particles (top right) that scientists have long used to synthesize myriad shapes and sizes of gold nanoparticles (left, right and bottom). Each fullerene seed contains 32 atoms of gold arranged in a 12-atom, icosahedral inner core (top left) and a 20-atom dodecahedral outer core (top far left). Credit Credit: Jones lab/Rice University Usage Restrictions Must credit: Jones lab/Rice University License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.