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Niobium carbide composites were obtained by sintering niobium powder and detonation nanodiamond at high pressure (7 GPa) and high temperature (∼1990 °C) for several tens of seconds. The resulting composites demonstrate a set of distinct reflections from the NbC phase in the X-ray diffraction pattern and exhibit superconducting properties at temperatures below 11.4 K.

The present paper reports the results of a study of the X-ray and Raman spectra of detonation nanodiamonds after high-pressure–high-temperature (HPHT) annealing at different temperatures. The experiments were carried out using a multi-anvil high-pressure apparatus of the “split-sphere” type (BARS) at 5 GPa and 1100–1500 °C. It was found that HPHT annealing at 1500 °C led to the growth of nanodiamond cores sized from 4.2 to 6.9 nm. It was determined that transformation of the detonation nanodiamond particles includes the formation of both a new diamond phase as well as ordered graphite around the initial diamond core. It was suggested that the gasification of adsorbed impurities from the nanodiamond shell results in the formation of a supercritical fluid that stimulates the growth of the diamond phase. The appearance of newly formed graphite led to covering the exposed areas of the nanodiamond core capable of contacting with neighboring nanodiamonds during annealing, which explains the earlier established heterogeneity of the hardness increase within the sample volume after HPHT sintering.

The process of detonation synthesis of nanodiamonds from ternary systems was developed with conversion tetryl as their main component. The dependence of the yield of detonation nanodiamonds and their content in the diamond blend on the tetryl content in the ternary composition was shown as well as that of the yield of detonation nanodiamonds on the oxygen balance of the blend. The conditions and composition of the explosive were found to determine the maximum yield of detonation nanodiamonds, 8.2 wt %, based on which it is possible to develop a more economical and efficient industrial technology for the production of detonation nanodiamonds: the use of explosive compositions containing 50 wt % or more conversion tetryl, respectively, a decrease in the content of expensive and scarce RDX; high content of nanodiamond in the diamond blend, which reduces the cost of chemical cleaning; the possibility of a simple selection of the required oxygen balance of the explosive composition.

The paper describes the data on unusual rheological properties of detonation nanodiamonds (DND) hydrosols and presents the fractal model explaining such behavior. The hydrosols of DND with particles size of 4–5 nm and concentration range of 1.1–7.3 wt% with negative (ζ 0) electrokinetic potentials have been studied by rotational viscometry, small-angle X-ray scattering, nuclear magnetic resonance and Cryo Electron Tomography. Remarkable hysteresis of viscosity and thixotropic effect demonstrate the sol-gel transition at very low concentrations of the DND: 4–5 wt% for ζ > 0 and 5–6 wt% for ζ

This paper demonstrates structural analysis for single detonation nanodiamond (DND) particles, with a size below 6 nm, by tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS). Single DND particles show Raman spe...

Gadolinium ions (Gd3+) can be fixed on the surface of 5-nm detonation nanodiamonds with terminal carboxyl and/or hydroxyl surface groups. Magnetization curves measured below the temperature of liquid helium at normal pressure give the amount of Gd3+ ions of about 18 per a 5-nm nanodiamond particle. The corresponding 2D surface density of ions is smaller than that obtained by density functional theory for a single gadolinium atom fixed on the surface of (111) diamond slab with 36 surface carbon sites with up-standing s-bonds by a factor of 2.

IR spectroscopy of fluorinated detonation nanodiamond demonstrates that an intense absorption band at ∼1344 cm–1 and two smaller ones at ∼1324 and ∼1258 cm–1 form the extended low wave-number wing of the observed consolidated spectrum in the range of 1100–1400 cm–1. The intrinsic infrared absorption of CFx bonding at the nanodiamond surface sites has been determined after subtraction of the contribution from remaining C–O and C–O–C groups inside the aggregates of tightly-bonded fundamental nanodiamond particles, which had not been subjected to fluorine attack and to their replacement by fluorine containing groups.

The results of modification of the impurity subsystem of detonation nanodiamonds (DND) (from the “Altai” Federal Research and Production Center (Biysk)) with active metals and mixtures of nickel and aluminum metals are presented. Samples made from three different metal-diamond mixtures were investigated: 1) 70 wt % of DND and 30 wt % of Al, 2) 50 wt % of DND and 50 wt % of mixture of nickel and aluminum in NiAl stoichiometry, 3) 70 wt % of DND and 30 wt % of mixture of nickel and aluminum in Ni3Al stoichiometry. The heating of samples of nanodiamonds in a vacuum volume (VUP-5) is accompanied by thermal desorption of volatile compounds. Analysis of the samples using differential scanning calorimetry and mass-spectrometry (DSC - on STA 409 PC Luxx NETZSCH, MS - on QMS 403 D Aeolos NETZSCH) allowed us to study the kinetics of desorption and the molecular composition of volatile compounds desorbed by heating nanodiamonds. Annealing of the charge with aluminum is accompanied by a nonmonotonic change in the weight of the sample during heating. Heating mixtures of nanodiamond with nickel and aluminum is accompanied by an almost monotonic decrease in weight. Weight loss at up to 950 °C annealing can reach 20%. When samples are heated to 950 °C, H2O (up to 200 °С), O2 (up to 60 °С), H2S (up to 700 °С), CO2 (up to 600 °С), SO2 (up to 450 °С), N2 (up to 60 °С) evaporate from the surface of the samples. Endo- and exo-effects indicate the occurrence of chemical reactions between impurities and metals. The cleaning process most actively takes place during the annealing of the metal-diamond mixture containing Ni and Al in Ni3Al stoichiometry.

The comparative study of adsorption properties of several adsorbents with focus on selective isolation of water-soluble B vitamins (B2, B, B6 and B12) from food products and some pharmaceutical formulations by solid-phase extraction is performed. The adsorption of vitamins was investigated for eleven adsorbents including bare silica, silica modified with polyvinylpyrrolidone, octadecyl-, aminopropyl-, cyanobutyl-functional groups, poly(styrene–divinylbenzene) modified with lactam groups, hypercrosslinked polystyrene, activated carbon and porous microdispersed sintered detonation nanodiamond. Dynamic adsorption capacities of adsorbents for each of the tested vitamins were determined from the dynamic output curves. The highest adsorption capacity was found for HCPS-based sorbents, but complete desorption from these sorbents required harsh conditions. On this reason MSDN was suited better for the preconcentration of water soluble vitamins.

The formation of thin-film coatings from detonation nanodiamond (DND) suspensions on atomically ordered conducting Ni–W substrates by self-assembly in an evaporating aqueous solution using the spin coating technique has been investigated. It is shown that, in the absence of a polymer matrix, the DND distribution over the substrate is nonuniform and the adhesion to the substrate is weak, which prevents obtaining a uniform and stable emission current. The use of DND–water-soluble polymer (chitosan and carrageenan polysaccharides, polyacrylic acid, and sulfonated polyaniline (SPANI)) coatings makes it possible to enhance the film adhesion to the substrate and provide a disaggregated state of nanocrystallites. The DND–SPANI coatings have demonstrated the best emission characteristics. Based on the analysis of the emission characteristics, a new model of emission center in the DND–polymer–substrate system has been proposed.

The published and the authors’ own data on the methods of chlorination of the surface of diamond micropowders are critically assessed. The features of different methods of chlorination of detonation nanodiamond (DND) are compared; the optimum process conditions are revealed. The method of gas-phase chlorination with molecular chlorine at elevated temperatures is preferable when using DND in biomedical applications; this method also helps lower the concentration of metal impurities. The use of thionyl chloride and sulfuryl chloride results in the contamination of DND-Cl samples with sulfur. It is shown that the DND-Cl samples have satisfactory hydrolytic stability.

In this study photophysical, nonlinear absorption and optical limiting properties of detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs)-phthalocyanine nanoconjugate systems containing: 2,9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetrakis-(4-pyridyloxy) phthalocyaninato (H2TPPc), 2,9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetrakis-(4-pyridyloxy) phthalocyanato zinc(II) (ZnTPPc) and 2,9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetrakis-(4-pyridyloxy) phthalocyanato silicon(IV) hydroxide (Si(OH)2TPPc), were investigated in dimethylsulfoxide solution. Pcs were non-covalently linked to nanondiamonds (also covalently linked for Si(OH)2TPPc) and investigated using 532 nm laser excitation at 10 ns pulses for their optical limiting properties. Complexes that have higher triplet state absorption also possessed enhanced nonlinear optical behaviour following reverse saturable absorption mechanism. Superior optical performance is observed when the Pcs had a central metal with axial ligands conjugated to DNDs in solution. Nanoconjugate of DNDs-Si(OH)2TPPc and respective Pc in solution gave the highest imaginary third-order susceptibility (Im[X(3)]) and hyperpolarizability (γ) at 2.91 × 10−8 and 3.17 × 10−8 esu and 3.88 × 10−28 and 4.22 × 10−28 esu, respectively, with Ilim value of 0.47 and 0.39 J·cm−2.

Agricultural water use accounts for around 70% of total water use in the world. Enhancing agricultural water use efficiency is a key way to cope with water shortage. Here, sunlight-responsive hydrogel beads consisting of sodium alginate (SA) matrix and detonation nanodiamond (DND) were fabricated by an ion gelation technique, which has potential applications in controlled water release. The interaction between the DND and SA matrix was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and X-ray diffraction (XRD). UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra verified DND can absorb solar energy in the UV, visible and even near-infrared regions. DND dispersed in the hydrogel matrix can absorb sunlight and generate heat, increasing the temperature of the matrix and resulting in slow release of water from the elastic beads. In addition, the effects of DND content and pH were systematically studied to evaluate their water adsorption properties. The swelling kinetics of DND@SA hydrogel beads in distilled water could be fitted well with a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Six consecutive cycles of water release–reswelling indicated that their easy regeneration and reusability. The novel and eco-friendly hydrogel beads should be applicable to on-demand, sequential, and long-term release of water via light exposure.

In this study, the nonsolvent induced phase inversion method was applied to prepare polyethersulfone/detonation nanodiamond (PES)/DND nanocomposite membranes for nanofiltration. Nanocomposite membranes containing different amounts of DND (0–1 wt%) were prepared and subjected to structural and separation characterizations. Structural properties of the membranes such as morphology, porosity, mean pore size, water content and water contact angle were investigated. Additionally, separation properties of the membranes were studied using water permeability, bovine serum albumin (BSA) filtration and dye solution rejection as a synthetic wastewater. Results revealed that presence of DND nanoparticles enhanced hydrophilicity and consequently water flux of the nanocomposite membranes compared to the unfilled membrane. The nanocomposite membranes with loading content of 0.5 wt% provide the highest dyes removal (C.I. Reactive Green 19 and C.I. Reactive Orange 29 with two different molecular weights) and also the highest water permeation, i.e., approximately twice of the unfilled membrane. Furthermore, the nanocomposite membranes showed promising antifouling properties during BSA and dyes filtrations.

Adsorption of water-soluble vitamins, including riboflavin (В2), nicotinamide (PP, B3), pyridoxine (B6), cyanocobalamine (В12) from water-organic solutions on microdispersed sintered detonation nanodiamond (MSDN), modified in different ways, was studied using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The effect of composition (from 5% to 80 v/v % of CH3CN) and рН (рН 2.7/6.0) of mobile phase, as well as temperature of chromatographic column (tc = 45/65 °C) on vitamins adsorption was studied. Nonlinear dependences of the sorbate retention factors on the acetonitrile content in the mobile phase are found out, indicating the variation of specific and non-specific interactions of vitamins with MSDN surface. Based on the obtained results, the conditions for chromatographic separation of the mixture of water-soluble vitamins in isocratic mode of HPLC on MSDN are optimized.

A simple method of stabilization of detonation nanodiamonds in isotonic aqueous-saline media was found, being a solution of an actual task for biomedical applications. The stable colloid of detonation nanodiamond particles with negative ζ-potential in isotonic medium can be produced by complexes formation with poly(vinylpyrrolidone). The mean size of the complexes is 30–35 nm. The stability conditions of the complexes were defined and their structure was determined by small-angle neutron scattering. The obtained hydrosols of nanodiamond particles are stable in physiological medium and can be used in biological researches and in medicine as drug carriers.

International audience; Raman spectroscopy is a technique that is now widely used to study all carbon materials and carbon nanostructures and as such is one of the characterization methods that can be used for the analysis of nanodiamonds. In this paper, we focus on detonation nanodiamonds, the contributions and weaknesses of the method for the understanding of their structure and their surface features are reviewed. The choice of the excitation wavelength, from deep UV to more conventional visible wavelengths, and the choice of the experimental conditions are first examined. In particular, experimental conditions are to be adapted to minimize laser-induced effects and to increase the signal to noise ratio of the spectra. Then, the different features observed for the detonation nanodiamonds, in particular the characteristic diamond peak as well as the one usually assigned as a “G” line, are compared to those that are observed from other origins, HPHT or shock wave. The benefit to use different excitation wavelengths to discriminate between samples is underlined. Finally, the effects of annealing under different atmospheres (in reductive atmospheres, e.g. hydrogen; in an oxidative atmosphere (air, oxygen) and in inert atmospheres: argon or in vacuum) were analyzed. Isotopic labelling (deuterated water, 18O) was also considered. The origin of the “G” line is discussed. In specific cases, high resolution TEM images allowed a better understanding of the observed spectra, showing that size dependent reactivity is another parameter to be taken into account during the analysis of the spectra.

The effect of the chemical nature of the surface of detonation nanodiamond on the adsorption of an antibiotic is revealed with the help of tritium-labeled amikacin. It is found that nanodiamonds with a carboxylated surface (Ssp = 283 ± 5 m2/g) chemisorbed twice as much amikacin as nanodiamonds with a hydrogenated surface (Ssp = 289 ± 5 m2/g): 48 and 22 mg/g, respectively. Maintaining nanodiamonds with immobilized amikacin in the form of hydrosol for 1 month results in a release of up to 9.6 and 6.4 mg/g of the antibiotic, respectively. The results demonstrate the possibility of creating an amikacin delivery system based on nanodiamonds.

We have recently shown that the sol-gel transition occurs in hydrosol of detonation nanodiamond (DND) particles with size of 4–5 nm. Here we study properties of the hydrosol. Namely, we study the dependence of dynamic viscosity and shear stress on DND concentrations. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) were used for characterization of the hydrosol structure. Deagglomeration of diamond nanoparticles in preparation of the hydrosol was carrying out without mechanical milling. In contrast with previous studies viscosity was measured by rotational viscometer. The observed effects can be explained by the model, that assumes existence of particle chains connected to each other by electrostatic interaction. Moreover, the potential of this interaction is non-spherically symmetric. Such chains of DND particles are present in hydrosols even at the concentration of about 1 wt%.

Aiming to develop versatile MRI contrast agents, we report on preparation and magnetic resonance study of a novel nanomaterial - detonation nanodiamond (DND) with manganese ions directly grafted to its surface. The sample was prepared by reacting an aqueous nanodiamond suspension with an aqueous solution of manganese sulfate. We present clear evidence on chemical binding of Mn2+ ions to nanodiamond surface; ions interact with electron and nuclear spins of a diamond nanoparticle, thus accelerating spin-lattice relaxation. The distance between Mn2+ ion and diamond surface was estimated from the 13C NMR relaxation data. Comparison of the interaction of Mn ions with DND to that in the recently studied Gd-grafted DND suggests that Mn-DND will be a potential material as an MRI contrast agent.

We applied acid treatment for the surface modification of detonation nanodiamond (DND) powder by minimizing their surface energy to overcome agglomeration and improve dispersion of DNDs. Different concentrations of acid modified DND in 828 epoxy matrix were fabricated to check their mechanical and electromagnetic properties. Mechanical properties were checked in terms of ultimate tensile strength (UTS), toughness, energy to break, percent strain break and Young's modulus while electromagnetic shielding properties were studied in frequency range of 11–17 GHz. To analyze electrical and magnetic properties of the nanocomposites, relative permittivity and permeability tests were performed. Excellent interactions among acid modified DND and epoxy resin was observed due to carboxyl and hydroxyl functional groups that results in the formation of efficient load transfer interface, which in turn enhance the mechanical and electromagnetic properties of epoxy nanocomposites. During investigation it was observed that mechanical properties and relative permittivity showed enhancements when, 0.2 wt% acid modified DND were used as a nano-filler, while on further increment of modified DND these properties start decreasing. Unlike this, the relative permeability, reflection and transmission loss values were increased with the increase of acid modified DND content.

Recent studies have shown that optically excited diamond can act as a solid-state source of solvated electrons in aqueous media, leading to novel reduction reactions such as the one-electron activation pathway (CO 2 + e − → − CO 2 − , E° = − 1.9 V vs SHE) for reduction of CO 2 to CO. However, an understanding of the valence band reactions is also essential, especially since CO can also be produced in the absence of CO 2 by oxidation of diamond via C + H 2 O → CO + 2H + + 2e − (E° = 0.52 V). Here, we demonstrate that H-terminated diamond nanoparticles with a median diameter of 125 nm can initiate selective photochemical reduction of CO 2 to CO, and that argon-purged control samples show no production of CO production in the absence of intentional CO 2 reactant as long as a sacrificial electron donor (here, Na 2 SO 3 ) is present. However, in the absence of an electron donor clear signs of diamond oxidation and aggregation are observed. In contrast, experiments with detonation nanodiamond show rapid changes upon illumination consistent with oxidation of the samples. Our results indicate that crystallinity and absence of high-energy defect sites is important to stability of nanodiamond-based photocatalysts.

Microdispersed sintered detonation nanodiamonds (MSDN) with different surface chemistry were characterized using X-ray diffraction method, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and adsorption of ionogenic and nonionogenic compounds in static and dynamic (with HPLC instrumental design) conditions. It was shown that for MSDN, conditioned with 3 × 10−3 M H3PO4, adsorption of substances with basic properties increases by 13.5–22.0, while washing of MSDN with 1.3 × 10−5 М ammonium hydroxide decreases adsorption of bases as a result of modification of ionic state of functional groups at the surface. It is found that concentration of H3PO4 solution significantly effects on adsorption of ionogenic organic substances. The effect of organic solvent is investigated by obtaining of isotherms of excessive adsorption of pyridine on MSDN from solutions in water and acetonitrile under static conditions. It is found that the equilibration of MSDN with acid solution activates its surface for adsorption of pyridine that may be due to desorption of substances blocking acidic adsorption centers. It was shown that usage of buffers containing additives of ammonium, potassium and sodium electrolytes results in decrease of adsorption of basic molecules, which is explained by competitive adsorption of cations on dissociated carboxyl functional groups on the surface of MSDN.

Nanocatalysts containing platinum and palladium clusters have been synthesized on the basis of detonation nanodiamond, cubic silicon carbide, and titanium dioxide. Characteristic size of the Pt cluster was close to 4 nm on both nanodiamond (particle size 5 nm) and β-SiC (particle size 13 nm) supports. The catalysts show high catalytic activity in reactions of CO oxidation and photocatalytic oxidation of ethanol at room temperature and low concentrations (

The present study describes a novel antimicrobial surface using anodic oxidation of titanium and biofunctional detonation nanodiamonds (ND). ND have been loaded with antibiotics (amoxicillin or ampicillin) using poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA). Successful conjugation with PDDA was determined by dynamic light scattering, which showed increase in the hydrodynamic diameter of ND agglomerates and shift of zeta potential towards positive values. The surface loading of amoxicillin was determined using UV–vis spectroscopy and the maximum of 44% surface loading was obtained. Biofunctional ND were immobilized by anodic oxidation within a titanium oxide layer, which was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The in vitro antimicrobial properties of ND suspensions were examined using Kirby-Bauer test with E. coli. Modified titanium surfaces comprising biofunctional ND were evaluated with E. coli inoculum by live/dead assay staining. Both biofunctional ND suspensions and modified titanium surfaces presented inhibition of bacteria growth and increase in bacteria lethality.

In this paper, we report a novel, unusual catalytic system that can efficiently catalyze the cycloaddition of CO2 with propylene oxide to form propylene carbonate in a mild solvent-free condition based on the combination of detonation nanodiamond (DND) and potassium iodide (KI). When the reaction was carried out at 0.8 MPa pressure and 90 °C for 6 h, the reaction catalyzed by DND-KI (e.g. 1.0 mol% KI relative to propylene oxide(PO), DND: KI = 0.8:1 wt/wt) has a yield as high as 96.4%, which is much higher than that catalyzed by DND with other substances such as potassium bromide, potassium chloride, tetrabutylammonium iodide, and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide. DND-KI also shows a higher catalytic reaction yield than the catalyst systems from other carbon nanomaterials such as graphene, carbon nanotube and nanodiamond prepared by a high-pressure high-temperature method. The DND-KI has an excellent service life. After ten cycles of reaction, it has almost no loss in catalytic activity. DND-KI is also applicable to the cycloaddition of CO2 with other epoxides. We further show that the excellent catalysis capability of DND-KI originates from the special subsidiary functional groups (e.g. hydroxyl and carboxyl groups) that the DND possesses and a synergetic effect between those functional groups and KI during the reaction. The large specific surface area and porous structure also facilitate the reaction.

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) may contribute substantially to energy resources in the future through solar energy conversion. In this study, mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) layers modified by detonation nanodiamond (DND) were synthesized by condensation from urea to obtain a robust and efficient hybrid (g-C3N4–DND) photocatalyst for the HER. Our characterizations revealed that no significant structural changes occurred in g-C3N4 during the synthesis of the g-C3N4–DND hybrid. Compared with pure g-C3N4, hydrogen production increased by almost 50% when using the hybrid photocatalyst due to the synergetic effect of the enhanced charge transfer, high surface area and low recombination rate of the photogenerated charge carriers.

This paper presents boron-doped diamond (BDD) film as a conductive coating for optical and electronic purposes. Seeding and growth processes of thin diamond films on fused silica have been investigated. Growth processes of thin diamond films on fused silica were investigated at various boron doping level and methane admixture. Two step pre-treatment procedure of fused silica substrate was applied to achieve high seeding density. First, the substrates undergo the hydrogen plasma treatment then spin-coating seeding using a dispersion consisting of detonation nanodiamond in dimethyl sulfoxide with polyvinyl alcohol was applied. Such an approach results in seeding density of 2 × 10^(10) cm^(−2). The scanning electron microscopy images showed homogenous, continuous and polycrystalline surface morphology with minimal grain size of 200 nm for highly boron doped films. The sp^3/sp^2 ratio was calculated using Raman spectra deconvolution method. A high refractive index (range of 2.0–2.4 @550 nm) was achieved for BDD films deposited at 500 °C. The values of extinction coefficient were below 0.1 at λ = 550 nm, indicating low absorption of the film. The fabricated BDD thin films displayed resistivity below 48 Ohm cm and transmittance over 60% in the visible wavelength range.

We report a novel wet chemistry route to metal coated nanodiamond particles. The technique includes adsorption of copper (II) acetate followed by reduction with hydrazine. To understand factors influencing the adsorption of the copper salt, nanodiamonds with different and well defined chemistries have been synthesized. The interaction of copper ions with NDs was studied by means of adsorption isotherms revealing different behavior depending on nanodiamond surface chemistry. Reduction of copper ions adsorbed on nanodiamond yields nanodiamond particles encapsulated into copper shells (ND@Cu). Using this technique, we can achieve up to 7.5 wt% of metallic copper on the nanodiamond surface, which is 3 times higher than reported so far. Synthesized copper coated nanodiamond particles will be used as a convenient nanofiller to reinforce copper and other metals with nanodiamond.

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of detonation nanodiamond (DND) on the mechanical, thermal and antibacterial properties of cellulose acetate (CA) membrane. In order to achieve an efficient dispersion of DNDs in the polymeric matrix, they were functionalized via heat treatment. Different amounts of raw and functionalized DND; 0 to 0.75 wt.%, were added to the CA and various structural and characterization analyses such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) were also carried out. Mechanical strength analysis revealed that both raw and carboxylated DND have great influence on the mechanical behavior of CA membrane particularly at 0.5 wt.% of nanoparticles (NPs) content. Application of Pukanszky's model for tensile strength and micromechanical models for tensile modulus revealed that strong interfacial interaction and thick interphase region are formed around the NPs. In addition, the TGA results showed that the incorporation of 0.5 wt.% of the DND and DND-COOH improved the thermal stability of the CA membrane. The antibacterial tests confirmed that the nanocomposite membranes containing DND-COOH displayed greater antibacterial enhancement against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).

Adsorption of phenols on microdisperse sintered detonation nanodiamond (MSDN) from water–acetonitrile solutions was investigated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Parabolic dependence between retention and organic solvent content in mobile phase was observed. The influence of physicochemical characteristic solutes including molecular volume ( V ), dipole moment ( μ ), hydrophobicity (logP), polarizability ( α ) and molecular refractivity ( MR )) of phenols on their adsorption from water–acetonitrile solutions was investigated. Single- and multi-parameter correlations between retention factor and various physicochemical characteristics of sorbates were obtained. The effect of column temperature on adsorption of phenols on UDD was investigated. The changes in ΔH and ΔS for competitive adsorption of the test sorbates were determined.

The structure of detonation nanodiamonds purified in the ozone, in a mixture of sulfuric acid with chromic anhydride and in nitric‑sulfuric acid in a presence of SO3 was examined. It is showed that in all cases oxidation leads to etching of (110) grain surfaces. The shape of as-synthesized nanograins evolves from initially truncated cube-octahedron with the same surface areas of (100), (110) and (111)A faces towards grains with increased area of (110) phase. The grains exposed to ozone become dodecahedrons terminated by (110) surfaces.

Additive-free nanopolycrystalline diamond (NPD) bulks were sintered from the onion-like carbon (OLC14) under industrial conditions of 4–6 GPa/1000–1400 °C/10–30 min. OLC14 was fabricated by annealing detonation nanodiamond (ND) at the conditions of 1400 °C/2 h/1 Pa (furnace cooling). The diamond content, average ND grain size, relative density and Vickers hardness of NPD bulk reached the maximum values of 81.56 wt%, 12 nm, 94% and 42 GPa sintered in the conditions of 5 GPa/1300 °C/20 min. Lots of nanotwins were formed in the NPD bulks due to the wrinkles and defects of OLC14 precursors. Because the carbon atom space and position of OLC14 spherical graphite layer was close to those of diamond, OLC14 could easily be transformed into ND, which grew larger and bonded with each other to form NPD bulks. The transformation of OLC14 into ND grain was martensitic transition. The sp3 carbon core of OLC14 as crystal seed had effect on this transformation. OLC14 with smaller grain size could be preferentially transformed into ND.

The self-organization of detonation nanodiamond particles in dielectric liquid polydimethylsiloxane has been studied by broadband dielectric spectroscopy. Frequency dependences of the conductivity and the complex modulus of dielectric permittivity were measured. The structure of nanodiamond suspensions has been studied by small-angle X-ray scattering as well. Electrophysical properties of detonation nanodiamond suspensions, namely conductivity and permittivity, strongly depend on the particle surface chemistry. The temperature dependences show the activation nature of polarization processes. The model explaining observed effects has been proposed.

Nanodiamond (ND) is a versatile and promising material for bioapplications. Despite many efforts, agglomeration of nanodiamond and the nonspecific adsorption of proteins on the ND surface when exposed to biofluids remains a major obstacle for biomedical applications. Here, the functionalization of detonation nanodiamond with zwitterionic moieties in combination with tetraethylene glycol (TEG) moieties immobilized by click chemistry to improve the colloidal dispersion in physiological media with strong ion background and for the simultaneous prevention of nonspecific interactions with proteins is reported. Based on five building blocks, a series of ND conjugates is synthesized and their performance is compared in biofluids, such as fetal bovine serum (FBS) and Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM). The adsorption of proteins is investigated via dynamic light scattering (DLS) and thermogravimetric analysis. The colloidal stability is tested with DLS monitoring over prolonged periods of time in various ratios of water/FBS/DMEM and at different pH values. The results show that zwitterions efficiently promote the anti-fouling properties, whereas the TEG linker is essential for the enhanced colloidal stability of the particles.

Nanodiamond has varies of mechanical, chemical and biomedical advantages, but its nano-size and discrete particle properties hinder its wide applications. In this work, we have fabricated a nanodiamond electrode by spark plasma sintering technology and applied it as a heavy metal detection sensor. The detonation nanodiamond was pressed by using spark plasma sintering compaction at 900 K under 0.2 GPa pressure. Then, its structure and composition were analyzed by many characteristic techniques, while the porous electrode having a density of 1.45 g/cm3 with hardness >0.17 GPa. Comparing with traditional carbon-based electrodes, the spark plasma sintering nanodiamond electrode is inexpensive and environment friendly. The analytical performance was characterized and optimized to be 1.52–2.82 μA·μg·L−1 for vary types of heavy metal ions in acetate buffering solution. Ultimately, with stable, accurate and precise electrochemical spectroscopy, this nanodiamond sensor permits rapid detection of Cd2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, Co2+ as well as Pb2+, and could potentially be coupled with point-of-use portable measurement equipment in order to substitute the noble electrodes.

For the first time, an effect of detonation nanodiamonds (NDs) with different surface compositions on the main functional characteristics of isolated rat liver mitochondria was studied. The response of membrane potential, calcium retention capacity, and redox state of pyridine nucleotides have been monitored upon the administration of NDs functionalized with carboxyl, hydroxyl, amine, hydrogen, and chlorine surface groups. Hydrogenated and chlorinated NDs caused reduction of the membrane potential and calcium retention capacity of mitochondria. An aminated ND caused an even greater decrease in calcium retention capacity (at a concentration of 0.75 mg/ml), reducing it to 65% of the control. The use of cyclosporine A prevented a decrease in membrane potential and calcium retention capacity indicating the induction of non-specific mitochondrial membrane pores during the NDs incubation with mitochondria. Hydrogenated and chlorinated NDs had no significant effect on the redox state of mitochondrial pyridine nucleotides. Other NDs studied had no effects on functional characteristics of mitochondria, even at high concentrations (up to 1.5 mg/ml). High activity of chlorinated and hydrogenated NDs may be due to the greater hydrophobicity of their surface and its interaction with mitochondrial pores components. Thus, isolated rat liver mitochondria can be used as a biomodel for initial testing of ND samples to assess the possibility of their use in drug delivery systems.

The adsorption of amikacin on the surface of detonation nanodiamonds was revealed as proceeding via the Coulomb or donor–acceptor interactions depending on the functional composition of the nanodiamond surface. In the case of nanodiamonds with carboxyl groups on their surface, the complexes were formed through the Coulomb interactions, while the donor–acceptor mechanism was realized in the presence of nitrate ions on the surface.

The adsorption of transition metal cations and inorganic anions from aqueous solutions on microdispersed sintered detonation nanodiamond (MSDN) is systematically studied. The selectivity series Fe3+ > Al3+ > Cu2+ > Mn2+ > Zn2+ > Cd2+ > Co2+ > Ni2+ with maximum adsorption capacity between 2 and 5 µmol g−1 is obtained. It is found that anions may significantly contribute to the adsorption of transition metal cations, so the adsorption of CH3COO−, Cl−, B4O7 2−, ClO4 −, I−, SO4 2−, C2O4 2−, PO4 3− is also studied. For the first time, dominating adsorption of anions over cations is demonstrated for detonation nanodiamond. The maximum anion-exchange capacity of 50–150 µmol g−1 is found for MSDN. Beside of electrostatic interactions, the formation of complexes with hydroxyl groups and interaction with metal impurities contribute to the adsorption of B4O7 2− and PO4 3−, respectively. Therefore, anion exchange selectivity of MSDN is different from that observed for common anion exchange resins. In all cases, the adsorption on MSDN obeys Langmuir law. The pH effect on the adsorption of SO4 2−, PO4 3− and B4O7 2− is different from that observed for other anions due to specific interactions.

Water interaction with surface modified nanodiamonds (NDs) is critical for many possible applications of NDs e.g. in biomedicine. Here we report on investigation of water interaction with hydrogenated and oxidized detonation nanodiamonds (H-DNDs, O-DNDs) by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal analysis, and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). Higher water content (4.4%) as well as weaker interaction of water with H-DNDs are identified by thermal analysis. It is explained by hydrophobicity of the H-DND surface, as revealed by the analysis of bending and stretching vibrations of surface water in FTIR spectra. On the other hand, hydrophilic nature of O-DNDs leads to lower water content (3.1%) but stronger interaction with the O-DND surface. This is evidenced by as high as 300 °C desorption temperature of the surface water from O-DNDs. KPFM analysis shows that the surface-bound water can have significant screening effect on contact potential difference (CPD) of nanodiamonds (up to 510 mV) as well as on the CPD difference between H-DNDs and O-DNDs (from 50 mV to 210 mV). Nevertheless, H-DNDs exhibit always lower work function.

The functionalisation of nanodiamond is a key step in furthering its application in areas such as surface coatings, drug delivery, bio imaging and other biomedical avenues. Accordingly, analytical methods for the detailed characterisation of functionalised nano-material are of great importance. This work presents an alternative approach for the elemental analysis of zero-dimensional nanocarbons, specifically detonation nanodiamond (DND) following purification and functionalisation procedures. There is a particular emphasis on the presence of silicon, both for the purified DND and after its functionalisation with silanes. Five different silylation procedures for purified DND were explored and assessed quantitatively using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for analysis of dilute suspensions. A maximum Si loading of 29,300 μg g−1 on the DND was achieved through a combination of silylating reagents. The presence of 28 other elements in the DND materials was also quantified by ICP-MS. The characterisation of Si-bond formation was supported by FTIR and XPS evaluation of relevant functional groups. The thermal stability of the silylated DND was examined by thermogravimetric analysis. Improved particle size distribution and dispersion stability resulted from the silylation procedure, as confirmed by dynamic light scattering and capillary zone electrophoresis.

Aiming to form an alkyl-functionalized surface and to realize the particle dispersibility in apolar solvents, oleic acid (OA) and octadecylamine (ODA) were introduced to modify detonation nanodiamond (DND). Compared with their single addition, the combined use of OA and ODA resulted in better particle dispersion and suspension stability. The co-adsorbed layer containing both OA and ODA is of a crystal structure, while the single-added OA and ODA form only amorphous structures on DND. The acid–base interaction originated from the electrostatic attraction between the amino groups on ODA and the carboxyl groups on OA may contribute to the assembly of both surfactants. With the significant increase of adsorption concentration and layer thickness, the steric repulsion of DND particles can be strengthened. By taking this approach, the alkyl-functionalization effect and the dispersion of DND particles in organic solvents or in polymer composites can be improved.

Using first-principles DFT calculations, we have investigated morphology effects on the properties due to surface reconstruction of C nanodiamond and cubic-BN nanoparticles. Geometry optimization of simple sphere-like nanoparticles leads to spontaneous formation of nanocages on the particle surfaces. Differences are seen at B and N 3-fold surface sites, which are flat and pyramidal, respectively. Thermal annealing using quantum molecular dynamics simulations shows nanocage formation in both materials, primarily on (111) surfaces.

Detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs), a nanomaterial with an increasing range of industrial and biomedical applications, have previously been shown to induce a pro-inflammatory response in cultured human airway epithelial cells (HAECs). We now show that surface modifications induced by air oxidation of DND (AO-DND), including an increase in oxygen content, formation of carboxylic groups associated with the appearance of high negative zeta potential and a decrease in unpaired electron content, are accompanied by a significant loss of bioactivity, as measured by levels of interleukin-8 mRNA in HAEC. These findings are relevant to the identification of chemical determinants and molecular mechanisms of the inhalational toxicity of carbonaceous nanomaterials.

Poly(phenylene isophthalamide) (PA) membranes modified with detonation nanodiamond (ND) particles have been prepared by solid-phase dispersion of powders of the components. The transport properties of dense film membranes containing up to 5 wt % ND have been studied in the methanol and methyl acetate mass transfer processes using the sorption and pervaporation methods. It has been shown that the sorption-diffusion characteristics of the membranes are improved owing to the incorporation of ND particles in the PA matrix. The experimental data on the pervaporation of a methanol-methyl acetate mixture have been used to calculate the classical parameters flux and separation factor and determine permeability and selectivity, characteristic driving force-normalized properties of the test membrane-penetrant system. The highest flux and separation factor values have been obtained for a membrane containing 3 wt % ND. It has been found that the characteristic properties of the membrane-penetrant system facilitate selective mass transport of a methanol-methyl acetate mixture using PA/ND membranes.

In recent years, detonation nanodiamond is regarded as a promising material for biomedical applications. However, a significant problem that stops of intensive development of this area is a absence of commercial NDs standardization. This article presents the results of the study of physicochemical properties of several industrial nanodiamonds available in the international market. The differences of physicochemical characteristics of nanodiamonds produced, selected and purified in various ways are shown. A method is developed for industrial processing of nanodiamonds, that represents high-temperature hydrogenation of diamond surface and allows to unify their properties. It is shown that after these processing nanodiamonds have the same surface chemistry and can form stable hydrosols. The proposed method of industrial nanodiamonds unification can become a universal method of its standardization.

Growth processes of diamond thin films on the fused silica optical fibres (10 cm in length) were investigated at various temperatures. Fused silica pre-treatment by dip-coating in a dispersion consisting of detonation nanodiamond (DND) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was applied. Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films were deposited on the fibres using the microwave plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition (MW PA CVD) method. The longitudinal variation of NCD morphology, structure and optical parameters were specifically investigated. The evolution of the film morphology and film thickness along the fibre length was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The chemical composition of the NCD film was examined with micro-Raman Spectroscopy. The sp3/sp2 band ratio was calculated using the Raman spectra deconvolution method. An approximately 5 cm-long homogeneous diamond film has been obtained on the surface of the fibre sample. Thickness, roughness and optical properties of NCD films in the VIS–NIR range were investigated on the reference quartz slides using spectroscopic ellipsometry. The samples exhibited relatively low deviations of refractive index (2.3 ± 0.25) and extinction coefficient (0.05 ± 0.02) along the length of 5 cm, as estimated at a wavelength of 550 nm. In order to show the effectiveness of deposition process on optical fibres, diamond films were also grown on the fibre with induced long-period grating (LPG). The results of transmission measurements demonstrated that an LPG with diamond overlay exhibits the appropriate dependency on the optical properties of external medium. Thus, the deposition process has a negligible effect on the fibre transmission properties.

This paper describes the use of gamma activation analysis methods for determining impurities in detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) from different manufacturers, in different probes of the same batch from the same manufacturer, in chemically modified DNDs, and in DND–glycine conjugate. Twelve impurity elements were detected and quantified in DND samples: Cl, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, Zr, Mo, Sb, Sr, Mn, U and Eu. The content of impurity elements in DND samples varies from 0.1 to 3 wt.%. Considering possible medical applications of DND, compliance with approved maximum permissible concentrations of heavy metals in medicinal agents is required.

While nanodiamonds are synthesized by detonation of microstructured explosives since 50 years ago, we developed a novel approach to synthesize these particles by using nanostructured explosives. This new synthesis method leads to novel results not only in the control of the size, but also in the understanding of the nanodiamond synthesis and the detonation mechanisms. The use of explosive particles with size down to 40 nm results in the formation of detonation nanodiamonds with a mean size of 2.8 nm. In the light of these experiments, a model based on the size of the material involved during the detonation process has been developed to explain the size of the obtained nanodiamond. According to hypotheses based on the number of the nanodiamond nucleation sites, the experimental results are in favor of a decrease in the size of the nanodiamonds formed when the size of the explosive particles used during detonation is decreased.