Richard Smalley (June 6, 1943 – October 28, 2005) was an American chemist who won the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of fullerenes (C60). Born in Akron, Ohio, he earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. from Princeton University. As a professor at Rice University, Smalley collaborated with Robert Curl and Harold Kroto to discover buckminsterfullerene, a new form of carbon, through laser vaporization of graphite. This breakthrough launched the field of nanoscience. Smalley later focused on nanotechnology research and advocated for science education. He died of leukemia at age 62.
