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Science 7 December 2007:
Vol. 318. no. 5856, p. 1550
DOI: 10.1126/science.1147650
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Technical Comments

Comment on "Synthesis of Ultra-Incompressible Superhard Rhenium Diboride at Ambient Pressure"

Natalia Dubrovinskaia,1,2* Leonid Dubrovinsky,3 Vladimir L. Solozhenko4

Chung et al. (Reports, 20 April 2007, p. 436) reported the synthesis of superhard rhenium diboride (ReB2) at ambient pressure. We show that ReB2, first synthesized at ambient pressure 45 years ago, is not a superhard material. Together with the high cost of Re, this makes the prospect for large-scale industrial applications of ReB2 doubtful.

1 Mineralphysik und Strukturforschung, Mineralogisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
2 Lehrstuhl für Kristallographie, Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
3 Bayerisches Geoinstitut, Universität Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
4 Laboratoire des Propriétés Mécaniques et Thermodynamique des Matériaux, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Nord, 93430 Villetaneuse, France.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail natalia.dubrovinskaia{at}min.uni-heidelberg.de

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)