Image credit – R. Capanna, A. Berlato, and A. Pinato
Several years ago, a company created a version of black that they called the blackest black ever. It was known as Vantablack and apparently it boasted the ability to absorb 99.965% of light. If you thought that was crazy, it turns out that scientists at MIT might have accidentally created a new version that’s even blacker.
The scientists were originally experimenting with ways to grow carbon nanotubes on chlorine-etched aluminum foil to help boost their electrical and thermal properties. However, it seems that in the process of doing so, they ended up creating a material that was so black that they found it could absorb 99.995% of light, making it even blacker than Vantablack.
To show off their discovery, they have taken a 16.78-carat natural yellow diamond and coated it with the material. It is currently being showcased at an art exhibit titled “The Redemption of Vanity” at the New York Stock Exchange where instead of it being bright and sparkling like one might expect of a diamond, it has been said to look like a flat, black void.
The scientists believe that this material could have practical applications, such as being used as optical blinders to reduce unwanted glare to help space telescopes spot orbiting exoplanets. In the meantime, Vantablack has also found some commercial use where BMW recently unveiled a car coated in the material.