Chemspy chemistry news and views

Hydrogen that mimics graphene - Researchers in the UK and the US claim to have discovered a new phase of hydrogen in which the diatomic molecules break apart to form six-atom rings, similar to graphene. The new phase, which occurs at very high pressures, could be a stepping stone towards a long-sought after phase: metallic hydrogen. Reference: R T Howie et al, Phys. Rev. Lett., 2012, 108,125501 (DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.125501)