Diamond in the rough: Half-century puzzle solved
Friday, July 20, 2012 - 08:40
in Physics & Chemistry
(Phys.org) -- A Yale-led team of mineral physicists has for the first time confirmed through high-pressure experiments the structure of cold-compressed graphite, a form of carbon that is comparable in hardness to its cousin, diamond, but only requires pressure to synthesize. The researchers believe their findings could open the way for a super hard material that can withstand great force and can be used as diamond-based materials are now for many electronic and industrial applications. The study appears in Scientific Reports, a Nature journal.