AVS 53rd International Symposium
    Nanometer-scale Science and Technology Thursday Sessions
       Session NS-ThA

Paper NS-ThA7
Cool Plasma Functionalization of Nanodiamond Particles

Thursday, November 16, 2006, 4:00 pm, Room 2016

Session: Nanoscale Material Processing
Presenter: G.E. McGuire, International Technology Center
Authors: G.E. McGuire, International Technology Center
M.A. Ray, International Technology Center
O. Shenderova, International Technology Center
W.M. Hooke, International Technology Center
A. Martin, International Technology Center
T. Tyler, International Technology Center
G. Cunningham, International Technology Center
V. Grishko, International Technology Center
Correspondent: Click to Email
An atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier glow discharge (APDBGD) plasma system has been developed at ITC. It was demonstrated that the APDBGD plasma system is a powerful tool for the surface functionalization of nanodiamond particulates. Nanodiamond functionalization was performed in minutes using plasma discharges generated with nitrogen and fluorine containing gases. The chemical bonds formed between reactive species generated in the plasma and nanodiamond surfaces were confirmed by FTIR and XPS analysis. Following plasma fluorination, XPS analysis revealed a relatively high concentration of F on the nanodiamond surface, up to 4-6wt%. Based on FTIR spectra analysis of several types of the initial ND produced by different vendors, it was demonstrated that plasma treatment of ND results in removal of particular surface groups (such as OH- and C=O), as well as in the formation of a variety of carbon-fluorine types of bonding (such as CF, CF@sub 3@(CF@sub 2@), C=CF@sub 2@) depending on the surface chemistry of the initial ND. Stable colloidal solutions of anisole with 0.5% by mass of nanodiamond were formed using these fluorinated nanodiamond particles, which are intrinsically hydrophilic and otherwise easily sediment in non-polar organic solvents. The degree of functionalization with a specific surface group depends on the surface chemistry of the initial nanodiamonds as well as on the type of gas used for plasma generation. Particularly, the use of CF@sub 4@ gas results in more efficient nanodiamond fluorination than SF@sub 6@.