ScienceDaily (Feb. 4, 2009) — Scientists have found the first case of an ionic crystal consisting of just one chemical element – boron. This is the densest and hardest known phase of this element. The new phase turned out to be a key to understanding the phase diagram of boron – the only element for which the phase diagram was unknown since its discovery 200 years ago.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128215130.htm
Original paper at:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/pdf/nature07736.pdf
This just goes to show how much fundamental research there is still out there in the world to do.
James
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