Structure-property relationships in novel high pressure superhard materials

Abstract

Research on novel high-pressure superhard materials (those approaching diamond and cubic boron nitride in hardness) is driven by both scientific and practical objectives: the desire to understand their structure and bonding, which determine the unique properties of these materials, on one hand, and the demand of modern technologies for robust materials with superior properties, on the other. Structure-property relationships in newly synthesised superhard materials, as well as some methodological aspects of their characterisation are in focus of the present paper. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.