Low hydrogen content
- Long hydrocarbons chains have all their bonds to the sides passivated by hydrogen. They have a huge surface to volume ratio.
- Crystolecules have a hydrogen free lattice inside. They have a small surface to volume ratio.
Gemstone metamaterial technology is a hydrogen saving (and aldo quite dry operating) technology.
If some intelligent aliens somewhere out there (not saying there are) would use such a technology, than
looking for water and hydrogen to detect them would likely be looking the wrong way.
Raw materials / resource molecules
- Acetylene has low hydrogen content H:C = 1:1
- Methane has high hydrogen content H:C = 4:1
- Long hydrocharbon chains have medium hydrogen content H:C = 2:1
Other halogen atoms used in place of hydrogen
Given
- the low ratio of hydrogen (or replacement halogen atoms) to other elements inside of crystolecules
- the fact that many gemstone like compounds are inherently incombustible
The environmental and health risk of using halogens like
chlorine and fluorine instead of hydrogen might be low.
Colonization of the solar system
Outer solar system:
The huge amount of volatile elements in there (especially water with lots of hydrogen) is not very useful as building material.
Sidenote: Nitrogen ice like e.g. on pluto also has limited use on its own.
Inner solar system:
The scarcity of hydrogen at some placed (Moon, Venus, Mercury) may nbe not too big of a problem.
Also gemstone metamaterials can emulate soft materials from materials only made from nonvolatile elements.
Excluding all the hydrocarbon polymers we know from earth.
