Stiffest organic crystals reported to date discovered in well-known material

Three crystals with a scale showing they are about 300 to 500 micrometres across

Source: © Pance Naumov/New York University Abu Dhabi

Mucic acid crystals owe their rigidity to a dense network of intermolecular hydrogen bonds

Crystals made from mucic acid are the stiffest organic crystals reported to date. They owe their rigidity to a dense web of hydrogen bonding between their molecules, giving them mechanical properties comparable to metals.