Scientists Claim They’ve Finally Made the Elusive ‘Hexagonal’ Diamond
Summary
A Chinese research team claims to have created the most significant version of a rare hexagonal diamond, marking a major breakthrough after decades of pursuit. This development could reshape the understanding and applications of this elusive material.
Key Insights
What is a hexagonal diamond, and how does it differ from a regular diamond?
Hexagonal diamond, also known as lonsdaleite or HD, is a rare allotrope of carbon with a hexagonal crystal structure, unlike the common cubic diamond which has a cubic lattice. The hexagonal structure features stronger and shorter interlayer bonds, potentially making it harder than cubic diamond.
How was the bulk hexagonal diamond synthesized in this research?
Chinese researchers synthesized bulk hexagonal diamond by compressing and heating high-quality graphite single crystals under high pressure and uniform conditions, achieving sizes from 100 µm to mm-scale, with a complete transformation from sp² to sp³ bonds.