Recent advances in laboratory methods have enabled gas phase measurement of the electronic spectra of large molecular ions of astrochemical interest at temperatures below 10 K. By exploiting the unique capabilities of ion traps, the first identification of a molecular carrier responsible for some of the enigmatic diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) could be made. The striking resemblance of several DIBs with laboratory measurements on C60+ has renewed long standing astrochemical interest in fullerenes and analogues. In this talk I will discuss approaches used to characterize these molecules, the comparison of their laboratory spectra with observational data, and the astrochemical implications.
