Hold onto your hats, because the world of materials science just got turned upside down. Diamond, long considered the undisputed champion of thermal conductivity, may have finally met its match. Researchers at the University of Houston have uncovered a material that not only rivals but potentially surpasses diamond in its ability to conduct heat. And this isn’t just a minor improvement—it’s a game-changer that could revolutionize everything from your smartphone to data centers.
But here’s where it gets controversial: the material in question, boron arsenide (BAs), was once thought to fall short of diamond’s thermal prowess. Could decades of scientific assumptions be wrong? Published in Materials Today, this groundbreaking study challenges existing theories and suggests that BAs, when produced with exceptional purity, can achieve thermal conductivity values exceeding 2,100 watts per meter per Kelvin (W/mK) at room temperature—possibly outperforming diamond itself.