On Earth, the BC8 phase of carbon doesn’t naturally exist, but it is thought that in outer space in the highly-pressurised environments inside exoplanets, it may do.

“We predicted that the post-diamond BC8 phase would be experimentally accessible only within a narrow high-pressure, high-temperature region of the carbon phase diagram.” ...

Diamond is one of the hardest materials on Earth, as its super-strong carbon lattice structure makes it incredibly resistant to compression. Theoretical predictions suggest there is another structural ...

The eight-atom body-centered cubic (BC8) crystal doesn't technically count as a diamond but is a distinct carbon phase that requires even higher temperatures and pressure to form.

A simulated form of carbon called BC8, or 'super-diamond', could be 30% tougher than normal diamonds, but synthesizing it on Earth won't be easy. When you purchase through links on our site, we ...

"But the carbon bonds that make up a diamond are so strong, we have to melt the diamond in order to transform it into a new BC8 crystalline phase.

BC8 is a high-pressure phase of both silicon and germanium that is recoverable to ambient conditions, and theory suggests that BC8 carbon should also be stable at ambient conditions.