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A team of scientists, including from Australian National University (ANU) and RMIT University, created two types of diamonds in a room-temperature laboratory in minutes. Those two types of diamonds: the type found on an engagement ring and a different type of diamond called Lonsdaleite, which occurs naturally at the meteorite impact site such as Canyon Diablo in the United States.
ANU Professor Jodie Bradby said, “This breakthrough challenged nature to create diamonds in minutes in a laboratory at room temperature, a process that normally takes billions of years, enormous amounts of pressure and very high temperatures.”
“This new, unexpected discovery shows that both Lonsdaleite and normal diamond can form even at normal ambient temperatures simply by applying high pressures, equivalent to 640 African elephants on the toe of a dance shoe.”
“The turning point in history is the way we apply the pressure. In addition to very high pressures, we allow the carbon to experience something called “shear,” which is like a twisting or sliding force. We believe this allows the carbon atoms to move into position and form the Lonsdaleite and the normal diamond. “
Using advanced electron microscopy techniques, scientists were able to capture solid, intact slices from experimental samples to create snapshots of how the two types of diamonds formed. These images demonstrated that regular diamonds only form in the middle of these Lonsdaleite veins with this new method developed by our interinstitutional team.
Co-lead researcher Professor Dougal McCulloch said: “Seeing these little ‘rivers’ of Lonsdaleite and regular diamonds for the first time was just amazing and helps us understand how they could form.”
Professor Bradby said, “Lonsdaleite has the potential to be used to cut ultra-solid materials in mining sites.”
“Creating more of this rare but super useful diamond is the long-term goal of this work.”
Ms. Xingshuo Huang said, “Being able to make two types of diamonds at room temperature was exciting to get in our lab for the first time.”
Journal reference:
- Dougal G. McCulloch et al. Investigation of the formation at room temperature of the ultra-hard Diamond and Lonsdaleite nanocarbons. DOI: 10.1002 / smll.202004695
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