Karachi (Web Desk) — It has long been believed that diamond cannot generate electricity. However, the discovery of a strong electrical effect in extremely thin and flexible diamond membranes has challenged this assumption.
Researchers at the University of Hong Kong have discovered that an extremely thin and flexible diamond membrane can produce a measurable piezoelectric response when subjected to pressure or bending. This unexpected discovery could open new possibilities for developing diamond-based sensors, miniature energy systems and autonomous medical devices.
The research was led by Associate Professor Zikeng Chou of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Professor Yuan Lin of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Hong Kong.
Since the late 19th and early 20th centuries, diamond has generally been classified as a non-piezoelectric material, meaning it was believed that it would not generate an electrical voltage when mechanically compressed or deformed.
To investigate whether diamond could respond differently under extreme mechanical conditions, the researchers developed an extremely thin and flexible polycrystalline diamond membrane using an advanced deposition technique.
Making the diamond extremely thin allowed it to be bent more easily. When the researchers bent the diamond membrane, they recorded stable electrical voltage signals in it.