Even the strongest crack under pressure, a problem materials scientists have long been grappling with. For instance, carbon-derived materials like graphene are among the strongest on Earth, but once established, cracks propagate rapidly through them, making them prone to sudden fracture.
A new carbon material known as monolayer amorphous carbon (MAC) however, is both strong and tough. In fact, MAC ⎯ which was recently synthesized by the group of Barbaros Özyilmaz at the National University of Singapore (NUS) ⎯ is eight times tougher than graphene, according to a new study from Rice University scientists and collaborators published in the journal Matter.
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