Scientists discover new ‘quasicrystal’ in Nebraska, USA

• Scientists have discovered a new type of quasicrystal, one with 12-fold symmetry, in the Sand Hills of north central Nebraska, USA.
  • The dodecagonal quasicrystal is an example of a quasicrystal of any kind formed by electrical discharge.
• Quasicrystal is essentially a crystal-like substance. However, unlike a crystal, in which atoms are arranged in a repeating pattern, a quasicrystal consists of atoms that are arranged in a pattern that doesn’t repeat itself regularly.
• Quasicrystals can be easily produced in labs.
• It’s the first time that researchers have found a quasicrystal somewhere other than meteorites or the debris from nuclear blasts.
• It’s quite rare to discover naturally occurring quasicrystals.
  • The first one was identified in a meteorite, found in 2009 near the Khatyrka River in Chukhotka, Russia.
  • The second one was discovered in 2021 during the study of debris from the site of the world’s first nuclear explosion, which took place in 1945 in New Mexico.

Uses

• Since their discovery, quasicrystals have been widely created in labs and known to “possess novel electrical, photonic, and mechanical properties that aren’t found in other materials”.
• They are used in manufacturing non-stick frying pans, needles for acupuncture and surgery, dental instruments and razor blades.