The structure of liquid carbon elucidated by in situ X-ray diffraction

Nature, Published online: 21 May 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09035-6

A precise structure measurement of liquid carbon at pressures of around 1 million atmospheres obtained by in situ X-ray diffraction at an X-ray free-electron laser shows a complex fluid with transient bonding and approximately four nearest neighbours on average.