The Impossible Diamond: Scientists Create Super Tough Gemstone in the Lab from Meteorites
Ever since fragments of a meteorite in Arizona revealed traces of a strange diamond back in the 60s, science has been chasing its confirmation. Now, after replicating the extreme conditions of a cosmic impact in the laboratory, researchers have successfully created this for the first time. An advancement that could transform the industry and usher in a new era of technological applications.
### The cosmic origin of hexagonal diamond
The with its perfect cubic structure have been the hardest known natural material for centuries. But in 1960, science proposed the existence of an even more resilient variant, discovered in small impurities of the Canyon Diablo meteorite that impacted Arizona 50,000 years ago. , named lonsdaleite, features a distinct atomic pattern: instead of three repetitive layers like terrestrial diamond, its architecture is organized in just two layers. This subtle shifting of carbon layers gives its hexagonal lattice a theoretical hardness nearly 60% greater. However, obtaining sufficiently large and pure samples for analysis had been a frustrating goal until now.
### Recreating the impact of a meteorite on Earth
The team led by Wenge Yang from decided to replicate the violent scenario of a cosmic collision in the laboratory. Using a diamond anvil cell, they compressed purified graphite at pressures of 200,000 atmospheres while a laser heated it to over 1,400 °C. Under these conditions, the carbon layers slid, forming the hexagonal lattice that characterizes lonsdaleite. The key was to slowly release the pressure, preventing the material from reverting to its original graphite form. Electron microscopes and X-ray diffraction confirmed what seemed like a dream: the AB pattern of hexagonal layers.
### The future of an industrial gem
Although the initial samples still contain impurities, the result opens the door to exploring properties never before achieved. Independent physicists, like Soumen Mandal from Cardiff University, emphasize that the next challenge will be to obtain purer and larger crystals to verify its real strength. If expectations are met, could revolutionize industrial cutting tools, precision machinery, high-performance electronics, or even quantum technologies. It will take years before its industrial adoption, but the discovery marks a milestone: humanity not only unraveled a secret of the stars but also learned how to recreate it on Earth.
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