A method of brazing including melting a surface region (26) of a substrate (12, 14, 22) and contacting a braze material (10) with the melted surface region, the braze material including a plurality of braze fillers (16) and a plurality of carbon structures (18). The method further includes subjecting the braze material to an amount of energy effective to melt the braze fillers but not the carbon structures, and cooling the braze material to form a brazement (28, 32) including the carbon structures within at least a portion of the substrate. The brazement includes a gradient (30) of the carbon structures, wherein a concentration of the carbon structures increases in a direction away from an interior of the substrate.