![green epidote crystal val malenco valtellina italy green epidote crystal val malenco valtellina italy](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/macro/thumbs/thumbs_epidoto-sissone.jpg)
![vesuvianite val malenco valtellina italy vesuvianite val malenco valtellina italy](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/macro/thumbs/thumbs_vesuviana-val-lanterna-3.jpg)
![vesuvianite val malenco valtellina italy vesuvianite val malenco valtellina italy](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/macro/thumbs/thumbs_vesuviana-val-lanterna.jpg)
![geode calcedonio brasil (2).JPG geode calcedonio brasil (2).JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/south-america/thumbs/thumbs_geode-calcedonio-brasil-2.jpg)
![geode calcedonio brasil.JPG geode calcedonio brasil.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/south-america/thumbs/thumbs_geode-calcedonio-brasil.jpg)
![magnetite brasil.JPG magnetite brasil.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/south-america/thumbs/thumbs_magnetite-brasil.jpg)
![quartz japanese geminate brasil.JPG quartz japanese geminate brasil.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/south-america/thumbs/thumbs_quartz-japanese-geminate-brasil.jpg)
![azurite morocco.JPG azurite morocco.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/africa/thumbs/thumbs_azurite-morocco-2.jpg)
![calcite morocco.JPG calcite morocco.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/africa/thumbs/thumbs_calcite-morocco.jpg)
![carollite.JPG carollite.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/africa/thumbs/thumbs_carollite.jpg)
![celestine madagascar.JPG celestine madagascar.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/africa/thumbs/thumbs_celestine-madagascar.jpg)
![cerussite barite morocco.JPG cerussite barite morocco.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/africa/thumbs/thumbs_cerussite-barite-morocco.jpg)
![malachite Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) Lukuni Mine in Katanga Province.JPG malachite Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) Lukuni Mine in Katanga Province.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/africa/thumbs/thumbs_malachite-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-formerly-zaire-lukuni-mine-in-katanga-province.jpg)
![vanadinite morocco.JPG vanadinite morocco.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/africa/thumbs/thumbs_vanadinite-morocco.jpg)
![almandine gilgit pakistan.JPG almandine gilgit pakistan.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/asia/thumbs/thumbs_almandine-gilgit-pakistan.jpg)
![fluorite china.JPG fluorite china.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/asia/thumbs/thumbs_fluorite-china.jpg)
![fluorite india.JPG fluorite india.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/asia/thumbs/thumbs_fluorite-india.jpg)
![hematite rose on quartz china.JPG hematite rose on quartz china.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/asia/thumbs/thumbs_hematite-rose-on-quartz-china.jpg)
![lapislazzuli afganistan.JPG lapislazzuli afganistan.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/asia/thumbs/thumbs_lapislazzuli-afganistan.jpg)
![quartz epidote china.JPG quartz epidote china.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/asia/thumbs/thumbs_quartz-epidote-china.jpg)
![topaz pakistan.JPG topaz pakistan.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/asia/thumbs/thumbs_topaz-pakistan.jpg)
![topaz quartz pakistan.JPG topaz quartz pakistan.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/asia/thumbs/thumbs_topaz-quartz-pakistan.jpg)
![tormaline pakistan.JPG tormaline pakistan.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/asia/thumbs/thumbs_tormaline-pakistan.jpg)
![zircone pakistan.JPG zircone pakistan.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/asia/thumbs/thumbs_zircone-pakistan.jpg)
![analcime sardegna,Italy.JPG analcime sardegna,Italy.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/europe/thumbs/thumbs_analcime-sardegnaitaly.jpg)
![andradite garnet isola d'elba,Italy.JPG andradite garnet isola d'elba,Italy.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/europe/thumbs/thumbs_andradite-garnet-isola-delbaitaly.jpg)
![aragonite spagna.JPG aragonite spagna.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/europe/thumbs/thumbs_aragonite-spain.jpg)
![calcite italy.JPG calcite italy.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/europe/thumbs/thumbs_calcite-italy.jpg)
![calcite valtellina,Italy (2).JPG calcite valtellina,Italy (2).JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/europe/thumbs/thumbs_calcite-valtellinaitaly-2.jpg)
![calcite valtellina,Italy (4).JPG calcite valtellina,Italy (4).JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/europe/thumbs/thumbs_calcite-valtellinaitaly-4.jpg)
![calcite valtellina,Italy.JPG calcite valtellina,Italy.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/europe/thumbs/thumbs_calcite-valtellinaitaly.jpg)
![epidote valmalenco,Italy.JPG epidote valmalenco,Italy.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/europe/thumbs/thumbs_epidote-valmalencoitaly.jpg)
![grossularia liguria,Italy.JPG grossularia liguria,Italy.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/europe/thumbs/thumbs_grossularia-liguriaitaly.jpg)
![hessonite adamello,Italy.JPG hessonite adamello,Italy.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/europe/thumbs/thumbs_hessonite-adamelloitaly.jpg)
![orthoclase quartz elba island,Italy.JPG orthoclase quartz elba island,Italy.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/europe/thumbs/thumbs_orthoclase-quartz-elba-islanditaly.jpg)
![pyromorphite sardegna,Italy.JPG pyromorphite sardegna,Italy.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/europe/thumbs/thumbs_pyromorphite-sardegnaitaly.jpg)
![quartz emilia romagna,Italy.JPG quartz emilia romagna,Italy.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/europe/thumbs/thumbs_quartz-emilia-romagnaitaly.jpg)
![quartz formazza,Italy.JPG quartz formazza,Italy.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/europe/thumbs/thumbs_quartz-formazzaitaly.jpg)
![quartz rodocrosite romania.JPG quartz rodocrosite romania.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/europe/thumbs/thumbs_quartz-rodocrosite-romania.jpg)
![apatite messico.JPG apatite messico.JPG](https://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/gallery/north-america/thumbs/thumbs_apatite-messico.jpg)
![]() |
(Credit: NYU Abu Dhabi) |
Scientists have developed a smart crystal that can heal itself after breaking without any chemical or biological intervention. The crystal relies on its own molecular structure and physical contact to heal?similar to cuts on skin.
Self-healing polymers have been subject to chemists? investigations for more than a decade and until now have only been observed in softer materials like rubber and plastic.
Pale yellow crystals the size of a baby?s fingernail?and about 0.5 mm thick?were grown in a lab by Patrick Commins, postdoctoral associate researcher at NYU Abu Dhabi and lead author of a paper in the journal Angwandte Chemie International Edition.
Commin says the research with dipyrazolethiuram disulfide crystals was inspired by the relationship between sulfur atoms in soft polymers, which tend to flow toward neighboring sulfur atoms and bond with them easily resulting in self-repair. He decided to test the same bond in crystals.
?What happens when we break the crystal is that we have all these sulfurs moving around and when we press them together they reform their bonds and they heal,? Commins explains.
Commins says the crystal was broken using a machine built specifically to hold tiny objects and that has the capability to break the object cleanly. The two halves of the broken crystal were mechanically brought into contact with each other at room temperature. Twenty-four hours later the crystal was whole again.
The only defect was a superficial mark left behind by the crack in the middle. The percentage of healing was 6.7 percent, which researchers calculated by comparing the amount of force required to break the crystal before and after the healing process.
Provided by New York University Written by Deepthi Unnikrishnan