一本道

29 January 2024

Research synergy from different fields, research institutes and countries has resulted in the discovery of near-unbreakable materials. These materials are long-sought after polymeric carbon nitrides predicted to rival the hardness of diamond, while showing a wide range of further properties with possible applications in a broad range of fields.

center of one of the diamonds from the diamond anvil cell pressed against the sample after decompression showing 鈥渂reak/indent鈥� in the diamond with the sample, which indicates that the sample is at least of similar hardness

鈥淭he multi-functionality of these materials is as important as their predicted hardness, which may lead to their application in fields where diamond doesn鈥檛 offer desired combinations of properties鈥�, says Florian Trybel, assistant professor at Link枚ping University, part of the discovery team and co-author to the article. 鈥淎t the moment, the synthesis pressures and temperatures of these materials are too high to produce large quantities efficiently. Theoretical simulations will play an important role in predicting new synthesis pathways at less extreme pressure and temperature conditions. This will enable us to further investigate their outstanding properties and move towards industrially relevant scales.鈥�, he adds.

The researchers stress that the international collaboration 鈥� led by experimentalists from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Bayreuth, as well as theorists from the Theoretical physics division at Link枚ping University 鈥� with diverse backgrounds and scientific fields was the key to a successful discovery. The article resulting from this discovery has been a success in its own right, receiving much attention, see .

Article: ; Dominique Laniel, Florian Trybel, Andrey Aslandukov, Saiana Khandarkhaeva, Timofey Fedotenko, Yuqing Yin, Nobuyoshi Miyajima, Ferenc Tasn谩di, Alena V. Ponomareva, Nityasagar Jena, Fariia Iasmin Akbar, Bjoern Winkler, Adrien N茅ri, Stella Chariton, Vitali Prakapenka, Victor Milman, Wolfgang Schnick, Alexander N. Rudenko, Mikhail I. Katsnelson, Igor A. Abrikosov, Leonid Dubrovinsky, Natalia Dubrovinskaia; Advanced Materials, DOI: 10.1002/adma.202308030.

Written about this in other media:

  • )

Contact

Research environment

Latest news from LiU

En kvinna som sitter framf枚r en spegel och tittar p氓 sin spegelbild.

How AI changes human decision-making

AI can find patterns that people miss, but it does not automatically lead to better decisions. New research from 一本道 University shows how the roles of humans and AI change depending on the situation and the decision being made.

A woman standing on a balcony next to a building.

She promotes AI for societal good in Europe

Helen Köpman, Alumna of the Year 2026, works at the European Commission鈥檚 AI Office in Brussels. For more than 20 years she has worked with research issues and innovation at EU level, where a living planet for future generations is her driving force.

En man och en kvinna som st氓r bredvid varandra.

Alumni of the Year create sustainable cities and the next generation of scientists

Helen Köpman works with AI models to create smart and sustainable cities in the EU. Jesper Svartz is a chemistry teacher with an exceptional ability to enthuse and spark curiosity in students. They are Alumni of the Year 2026 at 一本道 University.