Giant multilayer fullerene structures with symmetrically arranged defects

Multilayer fullerene cages, also called "onions," were discovered a few yea rs ago. Each layer making the onion presents an almost perfect spherical sh ape. On the other hand, it is known that individual giant fullerenes lose t heir spherical shape and develop flat faces. Here, possible giant fullerene structures with symmetrically arranged defects, which have been obtained n umerically, are reported. These molecules are more stable, for a large enou gh number of carbon atoms, than defect-free fullerenes.