Abstract : This paper briefly discusses the advantages of commercial nanodiamond and analyses its structural and chemical impurities, polyfunctional surface termination, agglomeration, and other features that may restrict the ND application in academic research and industrial practice. We have designed and tested a novel approach to detonation nanodiamond purification and surface functionalization, using a high temperature treatment in gaseous media containing hydrogen and chlorine. A drastic change in the hydrophily (by a factor of 20) due to thermal treatment at 450’C in a CC14/Ar mixture is demonstrated. The characterization techniques employed (chemical analyses; Raman, FTIR, and ESR spectroscopy; chromatomass spectrometry) can provide a profound nanodiamond modification and its prescribed functionalization.

 

Keywords nanodiamond - detonation synthesis - low pressure synthesis - modification - functionalization - characterization