Diamonds may be known as a girl’s best friend, but the most expensive substance in the world is far more surprising. While many might think of gold or diamonds as the pinnacle of luxury, there’s a certain powder that surpasses them all in value.
The Substance
Though items like truffles, saffron, and caviar are famously expensive, and materials like platinum and tritium carry hefty price tags, this particular powder outshines them all. It’s called ‘Nitrogen Atom-Based Endohedral Fullerenes,’ and it sells for up to $140 million per gram.
Why It’s So Valuable
The staggering cost of this substance is tied to its potential technological breakthroughs. Nitrogen Atom-Based Endohedral Fullerenes could pave the way for the development of tiny, highly accurate atomic clocks, which are crucial for improving GPS and navigation systems.
Currently, atomic clocks are bulky, often taking up the space of an entire room. With this material, however, they could shrink to the size of a smartphone, similar to how modern phones compare to old IBM computers.
Potential Impact
If these smaller atomic clocks become a reality, they could revolutionize navigation, providing pinpoint accuracy and eliminating GPS blind spots. Oxford scientists from Designer Carbon Materials are behind this innovation, and some speculate that future smartphones might even be equipped with atomic clocks.
The term ‘fullerenes’ refers to the structure of the material—a carbon atom cage encasing a nitrogen atom. This structure pays homage to architect Richard Buckminster Fuller, known for his geodesic dome designs, which similarly rely on interlocking triangular frameworks.