Graphyne is a crystalline form of carbon that is distinct from both diamond and graphite. Unlike diamond, where each atom possesses four immediate neighbors, or graphite, where each atom has three, graphyne’s structure combines two-coordinate and three-coordinate carbons.

Computational models suggest that graphyne has highly compelling electronic, mechanical and optical properties. It is predicted to be a semiconductor with a band gap appropriate for electronic devices, ultra-high charge carrier mobility far surpassing that of silicon, and ultimate strength comparable to that of graphene.

Applications of graphyne in carbon electronics, energy harvesting and storage, gas separations and catalysis have been proposed. While graphyne was first theoretically predicted more than three decades ago, its synthesis remained elusive.