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Microstructure engineering in diamond-based materials

Nature Materials (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

Diamond possesses a suite of extraordinary properties, including unparalleled hardness, excellent thermal conductivity, a wide bandgap and optical transparency. These features render it essential for a broad spectrum of scientific and industrial applications. However, the inherent brittleness and limited toughness of diamond have posed substantial barriers to broader technological integration. Recent advances have demonstrated that engineered structural configurations—including nanotwinned diamond architectures, hierarchically structured nanotwinned diamond composites, graphite–diamond hybrids, diamond–graphene composites and amorphous diamond phases—can overcome these conventional limitations, exhibiting superior mechanical and physical properties. This Review examines the latest developments in diamond and its derivative materials, focusing on microstructural design strategies, phase transition mechanisms, opportunities to enhance properties and emergent phenomena. We also outline promising research directions and potential applications for diamond-based materials, advancing the frontiers of diamond-based technologies.

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Fig. 1: Microstructure-engineered diamond-based materials from diverse carbon precursors via HPHT techniques.
Fig. 2: Phase transition mechanisms for diamond-based materials.
Fig. 3: Mechanical properties of diamond-based materials.
Fig. 4: Emerging phenomena in diamond-based materials.
Fig. 5: Electronic and optical properties engineering of diamond-based materials.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 52288102, 52090020, 52325203 and 92463305) and the Hebei Natural Science Foundation (grant numbers E2024203054, E2022203109 and E2023203256).

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  1. Center for High Pressure Science, State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China

    Anmin Nie, Zhisheng Zhao, Bo Xu & Yongjun Tian

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  1. Anmin Nie
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Y.T. initiated the project. All authors contributed to the discussion and co-wrote the paper.

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Nie, A., Zhao, Z., Xu, B. et al. Microstructure engineering in diamond-based materials. Nat. Mater. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02168-z

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