Richard Smalley was an American chemist best known for his discovery of fullerenes, a new form of carbon. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996, along with Robert Curl and Sir Harold Kroto, for their work in this area. Fullerenes, including the famous buckyball, have unique properties that have potential applications in materials science and nanotechnology. Smalley was also a prominent advocate for the development of nanotechnology and its applications in various fields, including medicine and energy. He served as a professor at Rice University and contributed significantly to scientific education and outreach, inspiring future generations of scientists.