Structural transition and migration of incoherent twin boundary in diamond

Grain boundaries (GBs), with their diversity in both structure and structural transitions, play an essential role in tailoring the properties of polycrystalline materials^1-5. As a unique GB subset, {112} incoherent twin boundaries (ITBs) are ubiquitous in nanotwinned, face-centred cubic materials^6-9. Although multiple ITB configurations and transitions have been reported^7,10, their transition mechanisms and impacts on mechanical properties remain largely unexplored, especially in regard to covalent materials. Here we report atomic observations of six ITB configurations and structural transitions in diamond at room temperature, showing a dislocation-mediated mechanism different from metallic systems^11,12. The dominant ITBs are asymmetric and less mobile, contributing strongly to continuous hardening in nanotwinned diamond¹³. The potential driving forces of ITB activities are discussed. Our findings shed new light on GB behaviour in diamond and covalent materials, pointing to a new strategy for development of high-performance, nanotwinned materials.