U-carbon: metallic and magnetic

TL;DR

This paper reports the synthesis and characterization of a new crystalline 3D carbon material, U-carbon, which is magnetic, conductive, and stable at ambient conditions, revealing a novel hybrid bonding topology.

Contribution

The study introduces U-carbon, a previously elusive 3D carbon allotrope with unique properties, synthesized via CVD using a specific organic precursor, and elucidates its structure and origin of properties.

Findings

U-carbon is magnetic and electrically conductive.

It has a unique sp2-sp3 hybrid bonding topology.

The material is stable under ambient conditions.

Abstract

We report the discovery of a pristine crystalline 3D carbon that is magnetic, electrically conductive and stable under ambient conditions. This carbon material, which has remained elusive for decades, is synthesized by using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique with a particular organic molecular precursor 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene (C6H12). An exhaustive computational search of the potential energy surface reveals its unique sp2-sp3 hybrid bonding topology. Synergistic studies involving a large number of experimental techniques and multi-scale first-principles calculations reveal the origin of its novel properties due to the special arrangement of sp2 carbon atoms in lattice. The discovery of this U-carbon, named such because of its unusual structure and properties, can open a new chapter in carbon science.