The Silicon Review ^Asia

Scientists from the University of Buffalo have discovered the hardest form of carbon using computational techniques, which can drill, polish, and slice other objects. Scientists have discovered 43 previously unknown forms of carbon which are stable and superhard, which are slightly harder than the diamonds. The newly discovered carbon material hasa distinct pattern which is arranged in the crystal lattice.

The bioinformatics study and computational predictions have shown the crystal structures of the material, and the researchers have predicted the structures and are yet to create them. To date, diamond is considered as the hardest form of carbon. But the new studies by scientists suggest that there are substances which are thicker as well harder than diamond.

Scientists consider a substance to be superhard, when it has a hardness value of over 1 gigapascal, as measured by the Vickers hardness test. The substances which are discovered recently have higher hardness when compared to diamond; they have a hexagonal shape in their crystal lattices.

The 43 novel forms of carbon will help the scientists to predict the number of carbon structures, their crystal form, temperature gradient, physical properties, bond length, and bond angle. “We would like to find something harder than a diamond. If you could find other materials that are hard, potentially you could make them cheaper. They might also have useful properties that diamonds don't have,”stated Zurek, a professor of chemistry at University of Buffalo.