Reported that in 2003, scientists have in the experiment build a new type of carbon structure, but this finding has been controversial; most recently, two different research teams using different methods to confirm is called a body-centered tetragonal carbon is a three-dimensional network structure, that this structure with the 2003 found.

Pure carbon in a variety of different structural forms exist, such as graphite and Diamond. This novel body-centered tetragonal carbon structure is surprisingly simple, ranging from Diamond the carbon atoms of the cube and the graphite of a hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms between the sheets, comprising 4 carbon atoms in square pieces, by perpendicular to the side piece of the short keys is connected.

This form of carbon is graphite at room temperature by high pressure forming. As is well known, graphite on cold-pressed environment at room temperature and subjected to high pressure, the transition is reversible. In 2003, Stanford University researchers in a diamond pressure anvil of the graphite is compressed, while obtaining X-ray diffraction pattern to help determine the structure of the bond. They found that when the pressure exceeds 17 Regis with 17 million atmospheres, the usual case for the soft state of the graphite carbon atoms form a hardness enough to crush Diamond material, but its structure is unclear. In the latest issue of Physical Review B is published by the China Nankai University Wang, Hui Tian, who led the team of scientists through the computer simulations showed that such ultra-hard carbon at least in part by a body-centered tetragonal carbon composition.

Research small group of the 15 possible structures for research after the discovery, the transparent body-centered tetragonal carbon is not only just very little energy can be formed, the shear strength is even higher than Diamond is also higher by 17%. If this conclusion can be confirmed, it would mean that at room temperature to manufacture than Diamond stronger material. And in this year 3 month of the Physical Review letters published by the American University of Minnesota Renate temperature watts g Albion and the Japan Industrial Technology Research Institute of Miyake lung, composed of another set of research teams using different methods reached similar conclusions.

The use of quantum mechanics simulation of body-centered tetragonal carbon structure after the analysis, the research team found that the body-centered tetragonal carbon in 18. 6 JI PA lower than graphite is more stable, and M carbon a contains 5 and 7 carbon atoms, a ring layer structure after mixing, which produces the X-ray diffraction pattern with the 2003 discovery of the carbon structure of the matching degree is very high.