Diamondiyne: A 3D Carbon Allotrope With Mixed sp–sp3 Hybridization
Journal article, 2026
The creation of carbon allotropes is synthetically highly challenging, but their practical significance to science and technology cannot be underestimated. Here, we report the synthesis of a new carbon allotrope, diamondiyne, which is the second known one (after diamond) that forms covalent bonds in all three dimensions. Diamondiyne has a mixed sp–sp3 hybridization, resulting in a carbo-mer of diamond with an expanded diamond-topology network. On the nanoscopic scale, two asymmetrically interpenetrated 3D networks form the tetragonal space group I41/amd with unit cell parameters a = b = 11.47 Å and c = 16.22 Å. Amorphous carbon films containing diamondiyne crystals are formed using a cascade reaction at a liquid–liquid interface. Just as for a covalent organic framework, molecular nodes are connected based on geometrical constraints to form an extended structure, and we show that the method is scalable in both the thickness and the lateral direction of the film. New carbon allotropes have historically found widespread use in materials science, and we look forward to what applications might emerge for diamondiyne.
diamond topology
interfacial synthesis
carbon film
carbon allotrope
covalent organic framework (COF)
Author
Yizhou Yang
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Gothenburg
Jie Xu
University of Gothenburg
Yanyan Chen
Carpona AB
Yu Xia
Stockholm University
Sami Zeliouche
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry
Clara Schäfer
University of Gothenburg
Martin Ratsch
University of Gothenburg
Ebba Matic
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Martin Rahm
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Lars Evenäs
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry
Angela Beth Grommet
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Tom Willhammar
Stockholm University
Karl Börjesson
University of Gothenburg
Angewandte Chemie
14337851 (ISSN) 15213773 (eISSN)
Vol. In PressSubject Categories (SSIF 2025)
Inorganic Chemistry
Condensed Matter Physics
DOI
10.1002/anie.4062963
PubMed
42733331