ESRF Tests the Hardest and Least Compressive Material in the World

European Synchrotron Radiation Facility Press Release, 13 Sep 2005 Nanorods of many materials are proving very successful, and their properties often exceed that of nanotubes, making them excellent candidates for industrial applications. Theoretical calculations predicted that diamond nanorods too would have properties superior to that of carbon nanotubes. But, so far, nobody had been able to actually synthesize diamond nanorods. This is no longer true. A team from the Bayerisches Geoinstitut (Universität Bayreuth) has just reported the synthesis of these aggregated diamond nanorods and their remarkable properties, after having measured them at the ESRF. Read more