The blackest material ever made was developed in 2019 by MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and is made up of particular carbon nanotubes capable of “trapping” 99.995% of the visible light that hits this material: it is the blackest black ever created. This material surpasses the record that previously belonged to Vantablackthe material that gave rise to this pursuit of “absolute black” and which is capable of absorbing 99.965% of incident visible light. This research is important to theirs numerous industrial applicationsmainly in the optical field to eliminate unwanted reflections and spurious lights in telescopes and other high-precision optical instruments.
How it is made and who created the blackest material
In the 2019 a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has created a material based on carbon nanotubes capable of absorb 99.995% of visible light, thus making it “the blackest black ever created”, as this material was presented. The MIT idea was born almost by chance, while scientists were trying to improve the electrical properties of carbon nanotube-based materials. Instead, they found that combining nanotubes with a aluminum substrate treated with chlorine it could create an extremely dark surface.
The key to its extraordinary ability to absorb visible light therefore lies in the combination of chemical and structural factors. During the experiments, the material was used to coat a 16.78-carat yellow diamond, which became “invisible” when covered by the ultra-absorbent black. Indeed, once covered with this material the silhouette of the diamond became blacker than the black of the background!

THE carbon nanotubes they are cylindrical structures made up only of carbon atoms, with dimensions of the order of the nanometer (i.e. one billionth of a meter), i.e. 10,000 times thinner than a human hair. In the body of extremely ordered structures, carbon atoms are arranged in hexagonal “tiles”.

Nanotubes have unique properties: they are exceptionally strong and conduct heat and electricity well. From an optical point of view, when a ray of light enters this network of nanotubes can’t easily get out. Each photon (a particle of light) bounces between the nanotubes, losing energy with each bounce until it is completely absorbed. This process is similar to what happens in a room full of mirrors: if light enters, it continues to reflect everywhere without ever finding a way out.
Vantablack, the previous “absolute black” material
In the 2014 there Surrey NanoSystems developed the Vantablacksetting a new standard for absolute black. This material was capable of absorbing up to 99.965% of visible light, making objects coated with this material almost devoid of shape and depth. This material was also composed of a dense forest of carbon nanotubes.

Why absolute black matters: industrial applications
But why are scientists so obsessed with creating ever darker materials? The answer lies in potential applications. Materials like Vantablack and MIT black have tremendous utility in optical technologyparticularly in instruments that need to eliminate unwanted reflections, such as telescopes or precision sensors. Coating the internal surfaces of these instruments with an ultra-black material allows you to obtain more accurate data and more images clear, essential for space exploration or scientific research.
Another field in which these materials could make a difference is thermography, that is, the measurement of temperatures through infrared radiation. A material that absorbs light so well could improve the efficiency of thermal sensors, allowing more precise detections.
In addition to technical applications, the blackest black has a fascinating visual impact. The British artist Anish Kapoor obtained the exclusive right to use Vantablack in his works, creating a heated debate in the art world. However, the use of similar materials has extended even further, and art has found new and provocative ways to express the concept of absence and emptiness through these surfaces. Coating objects with ultra-black materials creates an alienating optical effect: objects seem to lose their three-dimensionality, becoming wells of darkness that challenge human visual perception.
