Natural quasicrystals discovered
by
Phillip Broadwith, RSC
—
last modified
06-12-09 03:22 AM
Copyright 2009 RSC
High Resolution Transmission Electron Micrograph (left) showing structure of the natural quasicrystal, compared to a Penrose tile pattern (right) © HRTEM Image (left) © Science
Scientists have discovered a rare form of solid - a quasicrystal - in a rock sample from Russia's Koryak mountains. Quasicrystals have unusual properties and have previously only been made in the laboratory. The discovery could redefine the field of mineralogy and expand our understanding of how quasicrystals form, leading to new applications.
More: http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2009/June/04060904.asp
