Colloids of detonation nanodiamond particles for advanced applications.

Nanodiamond (ND) is one of the most attractive allotropic modification of carbon due to their unique physical and chemical properties. In the present review the current state of science and technology in the field of NDs is analyzed. ND can be used in various application and in different form e.g. as a dispersion phase in suspension, as a filler in composites, etc., so the sedimentation stability of ND in different media are under scrutiny. Thus, theoretical aspects of ND suspension coagulation mechanisms and the methods avoiding it were considered. The dependence of rheological behavior on particles modification was discussed as well. Various methods for the preparation and modification of NDs to obtain particles of various sizes on a nanometer scale with different physicochemical properties were reviewed. The area of practical application for NDs was considered on the example of polymer composites. The various manufacturing methods, mechanical properties and medical aspects for thermosetting, thermoplastic and elastomer ND composites were summarized.

One-step synthesis of a suspended ultrathin graphene oxide film: application in transmission electron microscopy.

Ultrathin graphene films find their use as advantageous support for nano- and biomaterials investigations. Thin film causes a very slight deterioration to measured signals, thus providing more details of the object's structure at nanoscale. The ultimate thinness of graphene works in the best way for this purpose. However, obtaining suspended thin film of a large-area, which is convenient for applications, is often a relatively complicated and time-consuming task. Here we present a one-step 1-min technique for synthesis of an extremely thin (about 1-2 nm) continuous film suspended over cells of a conventional copper grid (50-400 µm mesh). This technique enables us to acquire a large-area film which is water-resistant, stable in organic solvents and can act as a support when studying nanoparticles or biomaterials. Moreover, the very mechanism of the film formation can be interesting from the point of view of other applications of ultrathin graphene oxide papers.

Spin S = 1 centers: a universal type of paramagnetic defects in nanodiamonds of dynamic synthesis.

Intrinsic paramagnetic defects in ∼5 nm sized nanodiamonds, produced by various dynamic synthesis (DySND) techniques (detonation, shock-wave, pulsed laser ablation of solid carbon containing targets), have been studied by multi-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). X-band (9-10 GHz) EPR spectra of DySND, in addition to the main intensive singlet Lorentzian-like EPR signal, reveal a low intensity doublet pattern within the half-field (HF) region (g ∼ 4). On transferring spectra to the Q-band (34 GHz) the shape of the HF pattern changes and splitting between doublet components is reduced from 10.4 to 2.6 mT. The HF patterns observed are attributed to the 'forbidden' ΔM(S) = 2 transitions between the Zeeman levels of some spin-triplet (S = 1) centers. The model of two triplet centers with g ∼ 2.003 and zero-field splitting parameters D(1) = 0.095 cm(-1) (TR1) and D(2) = 0.030 cm(-1) (TR2) satisfactorily describes experimental results at both microwave frequencies. The spin-triplet-type defects are observed in a wide variety of DySND samples irrespective of industrial supplier, cooling and carbon soot refinement methods, initial purity, disintegration, or subsequent targeted chemical modification. This indicates that the intrinsic defects with S = 1 in DySND systems are of universal origin.

Ordered porous diamond films fabricated by colloidal crystal templating.

We have developed a colloidal crystal templating method for preparation of diamond films with 2D and 3D ordered porous structures. The technological process involved breaks down into (a) impregnation into the pores of silica colloidal crystal (opal) films of detonation nanodiamond (DND) particles from their hydrosol; (b) microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MWPECVD) regrowth with diamond of pores with high DND filling; (c) Ar(+) ion dry etching of fragments of shells of coalesced diamond crystallites which form in the course of MWPECVD on the surface of the SiO(2) beads making up the outer surface of a film and (d) wet etching of the SiO(2) template in aqueous HF solution. The final samples are either connected to the substrate or free-standing films of various thicknesses having 2D or 3D ordered porous structures. The morphology of the diamond films fabricated by this method replicates the pore network of the opal template. Raman measurements confirm the diamond structure of the synthesized ordered porous material.

The strong thermoelectric effect in nanocarbon generated by the ballistic phonon drag of electrons.

The thermoelectric power and thermoelectric figure of merit for carbon nanostructure consisting of graphite-like (sp(2)) and diamond-like (sp(3)) regions have been investigated. The probability of electron collisions with quasi-ballistic phonons in sp(2) regions has been analysed for the first time. We have shown that the probability is not small. We have analysed the influence of various factors on the process of the electron-ballistic phonon drag (the phonon drag effect). The thermoelectric power and thermoelectric figure of merit under conditions of ballistic transport were found to be substantially higher than those in the cases of drag by thermalized phonons and of electron diffusion. The thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) in the case of a ballistic phonon contribution to the phonon drag of electrons should be 50 times that for chaotic phonons and 500 times that in the case of the diffusion process. In that case ZT should be a record (ZT≥2-3).