| AVS 61st International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Nanometer-scale Science and Technology | Wednesday Sessions |
| Session NS+AS-WeA |
| Session: | Nanoscale Imaging and Materials Characterization |
| Presenter: | Olga Shenderova, Adámas Nanotechnologies Inc. |
| Authors: | O.A. Shenderova, Adámas Nanotechnologies Inc. G.E. McGuire, International Technology Center |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Despite that nanodiamond (ND) particles were discovered more than 50 years ago and were mass produced in the early 80s, for a long time they were in the shadow of their more famous sp2 carbon cousins. Two recent major breakthroughs, production of individual 4-5nm particles and particles containing colour centres exhibiting stable luminescence and unique spin properties have brought ND particles to the forefront of materials research.1 Nanometer size particles are produced by detonation of carbon-containing explosives or by grinding of microdiamond powders. Besides well-known outstanding mechanical and thermal properties, diamond particles have remarkable optical properties in combination with biocompatibility, high specific surface area, and tuneable surface structure. Applications of ND which have captivated the imagination of scientist in areas which have broad societal impact, such as energy preservation and biomedical imaging, will be briefly illustrated and a more in-depth review of their optical properties provided.
The optical emission, scattering and attenuation of ND are finding unique applications. In life sciences nanoparticles are increasingly used as fluorescent probes to monitor cellular interactions and study cellular dynamics at the single molecular level. Foreign atoms can be incorporated into the lattice of ND particles providing photostable particles as well as systems for quantum sensing that may be used to probe the intracellular environment at the nanoscale. Development of multimodal imaging probes based on 5-10nm ND and doping of ND with different elements to generate photoluminescence at alternative wavelengths are future directions for this field. Carbon dot-decorated ND is another means of generating photoluminescent nanoparticles with tuneable emission over the visible to near-infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The photoluminescent ND is increasingly being viewed as a means of drug delivery. Encapsulating ND in a porous silica shell is a means of achieving stable fluorescent imaging with nanoparticles with a high loading capacity for bioactive molecules.
Due to its high refractive index, wide bandgap and crystalline lattice, ND highly attenuates and scatters ultraviolet radiation. High attenuation and scattering in combination with large surface area has been shown as a means of increasing the radiation resistance of polymer nanocomposites. This can be beneficial in sunscreens as well as in polymers used in the construction of satellites to be placed in low Earth orbit.
1V.Mochalin, O.Shenderova, D.Ho and Y.Gogotsi, “The properties and applications of nanodiamonds”, (2012) Nature Nanotechnology, 7 (1) 11-23.