Science

The diamond paradox: Scientists describe the path to the most stable structure

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Briefings

Skoltech and MISIS University researchers discovered that graphite transforms into metastable lonsdaleite under high pressure, a hexagonal diamond structure with distinct carbon layer arrangements. This finding explains the conditions for this specific phase transition, though the exact pressure thresholds and long-term stability remain to be fully characterized.

Key points

• Graphite transforms into metastable lonsdaleite under high pressure, forming the first hexagonal diamond structure.
• Carbon atoms in lonsdaleite are arranged in layers differently than in ordinary cubic diamond.

Context

This research explains the conditions for graphite-to-diamond phase transition, revealing a new hexagonal diamond structure formed under high pressure.

Limitations

The evidence is limited to the initial discovery of lonsdaleite formation; specific pressure thresholds and long-term stability data are not provided.

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