Diamond is considered the hardest material on Earth. Now a new discovery can rival gemstones and offer new opportunities for materials science. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh’s Center for Extreme Science have published the results of decades of experiments in the renowned journal Advanced Materials.
Pressure and heat create new matter
Scientists have exposed various forms of carbon-nitrogen precursors to extreme pressures ranging from 70 to 135 gigapascals, which is equivalent to about a million times atmospheric pressure. At the same time, they heated the materials to temperatures of more than 1,500 degrees Celsius. They found that the resulting materials, known as carbon nitrides, are stronger than cubic boron nitride, the second hardest material after diamond.
“We were incredibly amazed that we were able to produce materials that researchers had dreamed of over the past three decades,” Dr. Hans said. Dominic Lanell in one press release. “These materials offer a powerful incentive to bridge the gap between high-pressure material manufacturing and industrial applications.”
Additional calculations and experiments indicate that the new discovery has additional properties such as photoluminescence and high energy density. This means that a large amount of energy can be stored in a small mass. These properties open a wide range of applications for ultra-compact carbon nitrides. Experts believe that this material could serve as the ultimate engineering material and rival diamond in various applications.
Research on particle accelerators
In order to determine the atomic arrangement of the compounds under extreme conditions, the samples were illuminated with intense X-rays at three particle accelerators, including the German Electron Synchrotron. Interestingly, all three compounds tested retained their diamond-like properties when returned to natural environmental conditions.
The researchers hope that their new material can now conquer a wide range of applications. Potential applications ranged from protective coatings for vehicles and spacecraft to heavy-duty cutting tools, solar arrays, and photodetectors.
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