A research team in China has synthesized a “super diamond” with far greater hardness and heat resistance than natural diamonds—marking a major breakthrough in materials science. 💥
📍 Published in Nature Materials, the study comes from Jilin University scientists Liu Bingbing and Yao Mingguang.
🔬 What’s New?
They successfully created hexagonal diamond (HD)—also known as lonsdaleite—by heating highly compressed graphite under a temperature gradient. The result:
- Hardness: 155 GPa (vs. ~100 GPa for natural diamond)
- Thermal stability: Up to 1,100°C (vs. ~700°C for natural)
📐 Structure
- Formed stacks of nanolayers in a highly structured, millimeter-sized block
- HD’s hexagonal crystal lattice is stronger than the cubic structure of natural diamonds
🛰️ Background
Lonsdaleite was first discovered in meteorite impact craters (like Canyon Diablo in Arizona, 1967), but lab synthesis has long been limited by purity and size—until now.
🛠️ Why It Matters
- Can be used in industrial machining, cutting, drilling
- High potential for electronics and aerospace applications
- Scientists say this offers a new framework for graphite-to-diamond conversion
💬 “Our findings provide opportunities for fabrication and real-world application of this unique material,” the authors wrote.
💍 Fun fact: Prior studies even suggest HD could be fashioned into engagement rings—with even more sparkle and strength.