To reach their conclusion, the scientists used the latest detailed crystallographic and spectroscopic examination of the mineral lonsdaleite from the iron meteorite Canyon Diablo which was first discovered in 1891 in the Arizona desert.
Named after pioneering British crystallologist Dame Kathleen Lonsdale, it was previously thought to be composed of pure hexagonal diamonds, which distinguishes them from classic cubic diamonds. However, the team found that it actually consists of nanostructured diamonds and graphene-like interlayers – where the two minerals grow in crystals together – called diaphites. The team also identified stacking errors, or “errors,” in the repeating sequence of atomic layer patterns.
“By studying the different types of growth between graphene and the diamond structure, we can get closer to understanding the pressure and temperature conditions that occur during an asteroid impact,” said Peter Nemeth, lead author of the study, in an informational statement.
Németh and colleagues also found that the distance between lapisan graphene It is unusual because of the unique environment of carbon atoms that occurs at the interface between diamond and graphene. They also demonstrated that the structure of the diaphragm was responsible for previously unexplained spectroscopic advantages.
“This is very exciting because we can now reveal the diaphragm structure in diamond using simple spectroscopic techniques without the need for an expensive and laborious electron microscope,” said study co-author Chris Howard.
Depending on the group, the structural units and complexities reported in the lonsdaleite samples may occur in a wide variety of other carbonaceous materials resulting from shocks and static stresses or by precipitation from the vapor phase.
Thus, they believe that through controlled growth of the layer structure, it should be possible to design materials that are extremely strong and flexible, as well as electronic properties that can be modified from conductor to insulator.
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