High Pressure Yields Novel Single-element Boron 'Compound'
Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 18:35
in Physics & Chemistry
Scientists have found the first case of an ionic crystal consisting of just one chemical element -- boron. This is the densest and hardest known phase of this element. The new phase turned out to be a key to understanding the phase diagram of boron -- the only element for which the phase diagram was unknown since its discovery 200 years ago.