Surface Structure of Aerobically Oxidized Diamond Nanocrystals

Ultrathin Boron Growth onto Nanodiamond Surfaces via Electrophilic Boron Precursors

Diamond as a templating substrate is largely unexplored, and the unique properties of diamond, including its large bandgap, thermal conductance, and lack of cytotoxicity, makes it versatile in emergent technologies in medicine and quantum sensing. Surface termination of an inert diamond substrate and its chemical reactivity are key in generating new bonds for nucleation and growth of an overlayer material. Oxidized high-pressure high temperature (HPHT) nanodiamonds (NDs) are largely terminated by alcohols that act as nucleophiles to initiate covalent bond formation when an electrophilic reactant is available. In this work, we demonstrate a templated synthesis of ultrathin boron on ND surfaces using trigonal boron compounds. Boron trichloride (BCl3), boron tribromide (BBr3), and borane (BH3) were found to react with ND substrates at room temperature in inert conditions. BBr3 and BCl3 were highly reactive with the diamond surface, and sheet-like structures were produced and verified with electron microscopy. Surface-sensitive spectroscopies were used to probe the molecular and atomic structure of the ND constructs' surface, and quantification showed the boron shell was less than 1 nm thick after 1-24 h reactions. Observation of the reaction supports a self-terminating mechanism, similar to atomic layer deposition growth, and is likely due to the quenching of alcohols on the diamond surface. X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed that boron-termination generated midgap electronic states that were originally predicted by density functional theory (DFT) several years ago. DFT also predicted a negative electron surface, which has yet to be confirmed experimentally here. The boron-diamond nanostructures were found to aggregate in dichloromethane and were dispersed in various solvents and characterized with dynamic light scattering for future cell imaging or cancer therapy applications using boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). The unique templating mechanism based on nucleophilic alcohols and electrophilic trigonal precursors allows for covalent bond formation and will be of interest to researchers using diamond for quantum sensing, additive manufacturing, BNCT, and potentially as an electron emitter.

Quantum Diamonds at the Beach: Chemical Insights into Silica Growth on Nanoscale Diamond using Multimodal Characterization and Simulation

Surface chemistry of materials that host quantum bits such as diamond is an important avenue of exploration as quantum computation and quantum sensing platforms mature. Interfacing diamond in general and nanoscale diamond (ND) in particular with silica is a potential route to integrate room temperature quantum bits into photonic devices, fiber optics, cells, or tissues with flexible functionalization chemistry. While silica growth on ND cores has been used successfully for quantum sensing and biolabeling, the surface mechanism to initiate growth was unknown. This report describes the surface chemistry responsible for silica bond formation on diamond and uses X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to probe the diamond surface chemistry and its electronic structure with increasing silica thickness. A modified Stöber (Cigler) method was used to synthesize 2-35 nm thick shells of SiO2 onto carboxylic acid-rich ND cores. The diamond morphology, surface, and electronic structure were characterized by overlapping techniques including electron microscopy. Importantly, we discovered that SiO2 growth on carboxylated NDs eliminates the presence of carboxylic acids and that basic ethanolic solutions convert the ND surface to an alcohol-rich surface prior to silica growth. The data supports a mechanism that alcohols on the ND surface generate silyl-ether (ND-O-Si-(OH)3) bonds due to rehydroxylation by ammonium hydroxide in ethanol. The suppression of the diamond electronic structure as a function of SiO2 thickness was observed for the first time, and a maximum probing depth of ∼14 nm was calculated. XAS spectra based on the Auger electron escape depth was modeled using the NIST database for the Simulation of Electron Spectra for Surface Analysis (SESSA) to support our experimental results. Additionally, resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) maps produced by the transition edge sensor reinforces the chemical analysis provided by XAS. Researchers using diamond or high-pressure high temperature (HPHT) NDs and other exotic materials (e.g., silicon carbide or cubic-boron nitride) for quantum sensing applications may exploit these results to design new layered or core-shell quantum sensors by forming covalent bonds via surface alcohol groups.

Production, surface modification, physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, and bioimaging applications of nanodiamonds

Nanodiamonds (ND) are chemically inert and stable owing to their sp3 covalent bonding structure, but their surface sp2 graphitic carbons can be easily homogenized with diverse functional groups via oxidation, reduction, hydrogenation, amination, and halogenation. Further surface conjugation of NDs with hydrophilic ligands can boost their colloidal stability and functionality. In addition, NDs are non-toxic as they are made of carbons. They exhibit stable fluorescence without photobleaching. They also possess paramagnetic and ferromagnetic properties, making them suitable for use as a new type of fluorescence imaging (FI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probe. In this review, we focused on recently developed ND production methods, surface homogenization and functionalization methods, biocompatibilities, and biomedical imaging applications as FI and MRI probes. Finally, we discussed future perspectives.

Absolute energy levels in nanodiamonds of different origins and surface chemistries

Nanodiamonds (NDs) are versatile, broadly available nanomaterials with a set of features highly attractive for applications from biology over energy harvesting to quantum technologies. Via synthesis and surface chemistry, NDs can be tuned from the sub-micron to the single-digit size, from conductive to insulating, from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, and from positively to negatively charged surface by simple annealing processes. Such ND diversity makes it difficult to understand and take advantage of their electronic properties. Here we present a systematic correlated study of structural and electronic properties of NDs with different origins and surface terminations. The absolute energy level diagrams are obtained by the combination of optical (UV-vis) and photoelectron (UPS) spectroscopies, Kelvin probe measurements, and energy-resolved electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (ER-EIS). The energy levels and density of states in the bandgap of NDs are correlated with the surface chemistry and structure characterized by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. We show profound differences in energy band shifts (by up to 3 eV), Fermi level position (from p-type to n-type), electron affinity (from +0.5 eV to -2.2 eV), optical band gap (5.2 eV to 5.5 eV), band gap states (tail or mid-gap), and electrical conductivity depending on the high-pressure, high-temperature and detonation origin of NDs as well as on the effects of NDs' oxidation, hydrogenation, sp2/sp3 carbon phases and surface adsorbates. These data are fundamental for understanding and designing NDs' optoelectrochemical functional mechanisms in diverse application areas.

Biocompatible Nanodiamonds Derived from Coal Washery Rejects: Antioxidant, Antiviral, and Phytotoxic Applications

Coal washery rejects (CWRs) are a major byproduct produced in coal washery industries. We have chemically derived biocompatible nanodiamonds (NDs) from CWRs toward a wide range of biological applications. The average particle sizes of the derived blue-emitting NDs are found to be in the range of 2-3.5 nm. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy of the derived NDs depicts the crystalline structure with a d-spacing of 0.218 nm, which is attributed to the 100 lattice plane of a cubic diamond. The Fourier infrared spectroscopy, zeta potential, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data revealed that the NDs are substantially functionalized with oxygen-containing functional groups. Interestingly, the CWR-derived NDs exhibit strong antiviral properties (high inhibition of 99.3% with an IC₅₀ value of 7.664 μg/mL) and moderate antioxidant activity that widen the possibility of biomedical applications. In addition, toxicological effects of NDs on the wheatgrass seed germination and seedling growth showed minimal inhibition (<9%) at the highest tested concentration of 300.0 μg/mL. The study also provides intriguing prospects of CWRs for the creation of novel antiviral therapies.

Photoluminescence of Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers by Ultraviolet One- and Two-Photon Excitation of Fluorescent Nanodiamonds

Fluorescent nanodiamonds contain nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers as quantum defects. When exposed to a continuous-wave 325 nm laser or a femtosecond 344 nm laser, the particles emit red fluorescence from NV⁰ centers at ∼620 nm. Power dependence measurements of the emission strength revealed a predominantly linear behavior at the laser peak intensity lower than 1 GW·cm^-2, contributed mainly by photoexcitation of electrons from the valence band of diamond to the NV⁰ centers, followed by relaxation via electron-hole recombination. In the higher power regions, however, nonresonant two-photon interband excitation of the diamond matrix dominates the photoluminescence processes. Best fits of the experimental data to semiempirical models revealed an ionization coefficient of ∼1 cm^-1 for the one-photon valence-to-defect excitation and a saturation intensity of 180 ± 60 GW·cm^-2 for the two-photon interband excitation. The study provides new insight into the photoionization of NV⁰ centers and the interband excitation properties of diamond in the UV region.

Diamond surface engineering for molecular sensing with nitrogen-vacancy centers

Quantum sensing using optically addressable atomic-scale defects, such as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond, provides new opportunities for sensitive and highly localized characterization of chemical functionality. Notably, near-surface defects facilitate detection of the minute magnetic fields generated by nuclear or electron spins outside of the diamond crystal, such as those in chemisorbed and physisorbed molecules. However, the promise of NV centers is hindered by a severe degradation of critical sensor properties, namely charge stability and spin coherence, near surfaces (< ca. 10 nm deep). Moreover, applications in the chemical sciences require methods for covalent bonding of target molecules to diamond with robust control over density, orientation, and binding configuration. This forward-looking Review provides a survey of the rapidly converging fields of diamond surface science and NV-center physics, highlighting their combined potential for quantum sensing of molecules. We outline the diamond surface properties that are advantageous for NV-sensing applications, and discuss strategies to mitigate deleterious effects while simultaneously providing avenues for chemical attachment. Finally, we present an outlook on emerging applications in which the unprecedented sensitivity and spatial resolution of NV-based sensing could provide unique insight into chemically functionalized surfaces at the single-molecule level.

Single-Nitrogen-Vacancy NMR of Amine-Functionalized Diamond Surfaces

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging with shallow nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond offers an exciting route toward sensitive and localized chemical characterization at the nanoscale. Remarkable progress has been made to combat the degradation in coherence time and stability suffered by near-surface NV centers using suitable chemical surface termination. However, approaches that also enable robust control over adsorbed molecule density, orientation, and binding configuration are needed. We demonstrate a diamond surface preparation for mixed nitrogen- and oxygen-termination that simultaneously improves NV center coherence times for <10 nm-deep emitters and enables direct and recyclable chemical functionalization via amine-reactive cross-linking. Using this approach, we probe single NV centers embedded in nanopillar waveguides to perform ¹⁹F NMR sensing of covalently bound fluorinated molecules with detection on the order of 100 molecules. This work signifies an important step toward nuclear spin localization and structure interrogation at the single-molecule level.

Nanodiamonds as Possible Tools for Improved Management of Bladder Cancer and Bacterial Cystitis

Nanodiamonds (NDs) are a class of carbon nanomaterials with sizes ranging from a few nm to micrometres. Due to their excellent physical, chemical and optical properties, they have recently attracted much attention in biomedicine. In addition, their exceptional biocompatibility and the possibility of precise surface functionalisation offer promising opportunities for biological applications such as cell labelling and imaging, as well as targeted drug delivery. However, using NDs for selective targeting of desired biomolecules within a complex biological system remains challenging. Urinary bladder cancer and bacterial cystitis are major diseases of the bladder with high incidence and poor treatment options. In this review, we present: (i) the synthesis, properties and functionalisation of NDs; (ii) recent advances in the study of various NDs used for better treatment of bladder cancer and (iii) bacterial cystitis; and (iv) the use of NDs in theranostics of these diseases.

Metastable Brominated Nanodiamond Surface Enables Room Temperature and Catalysis-Free Amine Chemistry

Bromination of high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) nanodiamond (ND) surfaces has not been explored and can open new avenues for increased chemical reactivity and diamond lattice covalent bond formation. The large bond dissociation energy of the diamond lattice-oxygen bond is a challenge that prevents new bonds from forming, and most researchers simply use oxygen-terminated NDs (alcohols and acids) as reactive species. In this work, we transformed a tertiary-alcohol-rich ND surface to an amine surface with ∼50% surface coverage and was limited by the initial rate of bromination. We observed that alkyl bromide moieties are highly labile on HPHT NDs and are metastable as previously found using density functional theory. The strong leaving group properties of the alkyl bromide intermediate were found to form diamond-nitrogen bonds at room temperature and without catalysts. This robust pathway to activate a chemically inert ND surface broadens the modalities for surface termination, and the unique surface properties of brominated and aminated NDs are impactful to researchers for chemically tuning diamond for quantum sensing or biolabeling applications.

Diamond quantum thermometry: from foundations to applications

Diamond quantum thermometry exploits the optical and electrical spin properties of colour defect centres in diamonds and, acts as a quantum sensing method exhibiting ultrahigh precision and robustness. Compared to the existing luminescent nanothermometry techniques, a diamond quantum thermometer can be operated over a wide temperature range and a sensor spatial scale ranging from nanometres to micrometres. Further, diamond quantum thermometry is employed in several applications, including electronics and biology, to explore these fields with nanoscale temperature measurements. This review covers the operational principles of diamond quantum thermometry for spin-based and all-optical methods, material development of diamonds with a focus on thermometry, and examples of applications in electrical and biological systems with demand-based technological requirements.

High-Density Covalent Grafting of Spin-Active Molecular Moieties to Diamond Surfaces

Functionalization of diamond surfaces with TEMPO and other surface paramagnetic species represents one approach to the implementation of novel chemical detection schemes that make use of shallow quantum color defects such as silicon-vacancy (SiV) and nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers. Yet, prior approaches to quantum-based chemical sensing have been hampered by the absence of high-quality surface functionalization schemes for linking radicals to diamond surfaces. Here, we demonstrate a highly controlled approach to the functionalization of diamond surfaces with carboxylic acid groups via all-carbon tethers of different lengths, followed by covalent chemistry to yield high-quality, TEMPO-modified surfaces. Our studies yield estimated surface densities of 4-amino-TEMPO of approximately 1.4 molecules nm^-2 on nanodiamond (varying with molecular linker length) and 3.3 molecules nm^-2 on planar diamond. These values are higher than those reported previously using other functionalization methods. The ζ-potential of nanodiamonds was used to track reaction progress and elucidate the regioselectivity of the reaction between ethenyl and carboxylate groups and surface radicals.

Toward Quantitative Bio-sensing with Nitrogen-Vacancy Center in Diamond

The long-dreamed-of capability of monitoring the molecular machinery in living systems has not been realized yet, mainly due to the technical limitations of current sensing technologies. However, recently emerging quantum sensors are showing great promise for molecular detection and imaging. One of such sensing qubits is the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center, a photoluminescent impurity in a diamond lattice with unique room-temperature optical and spin properties. This atomic-sized quantum emitter has the ability to quantitatively measure nanoscale electromagnetic fields via optical means at ambient conditions. Moreover, the unlimited photostability of NV centers, combined with the excellent diamond biocompatibility and the possibility of diamond nanoparticles internalization into the living cells, makes NV-based sensors one of the most promising and versatile platforms for various life-science applications. In this review, we will summarize the latest developments of NV-based quantum sensing with a focus on biomedical applications, including measurements of magnetic biomaterials, intracellular temperature, localized physiological species, action potentials, and electronic and nuclear spins. We will also outline the main unresolved challenges and provide future perspectives of many promising aspects of NV-based bio-sensing.

Surface Modification of Fluorescent Nanodiamonds for Biological Applications

Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) are a new class of carbon nanomaterials that offer great promise for biological applications such as cell labeling, imaging, and sensing due to their exceptional optical properties and biocompatibility. Implementation of these applications requires reliable and precise surface functionalization. Although diamonds are generally considered inert, they typically possess diverse surface groups that permit a range of different functionalization strategies. This review provides an overview of nanodiamond surface functionalization methods including homogeneous surface termination approaches (hydrogenation, halogenation, amination, oxidation, and reduction), in addition to covalent and non-covalent surface modification with different functional moieties. Furthermore, the subsequent coupling of biomolecules onto functionalized nanodiamonds is reviewed. Finally, biomedical applications of nanodiamonds are discussed in the context of functionalization.

Environmental and toxicological assessment of nanodiamond-like materials derived from carbonaceous aerosols

Carbonaceous aerosols (CAs) are ubiquitous and among the most significant environmental materials found in ambient air, mainly derived from anthropogenic sources (biomass burning, industrial activity, vehicle emissions, etc.). Elemental carbon (black carbon) and organic carbons are the major constituents of CAs. Due to their toxic effects, they are considered as high-risk compounds for human health. The key objective of the present work is to conduct a feasibility study for the conversion of CAs (TSP and PM₁₀) into a value-added carbon nanostructured product by using a chemical method. High resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-visible), fluorescence spectroscopy (FL), and Zeta potential analyses indicated the formation of carbon nanomaterials with crystalline phases, which exhibit the characteristics of nanodiamonds (NDs). The HR-TEM image analysis showed that the nominal size of the CAs-derived NDs ranged from 4 to 17 nm composed of mainly carbon and oxygen. The FT-IR and XPS analysis indicated that the NDs are highly functionalized with an oxygen-containing functional group. The CAs-derived NDs showed the property of blue-fluorescence with excitation dependent. In the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity study, the NDs obtained was observed to be biocompatible and suitable for bioimaging applications. This result provides a new avenue for the conversion of CAs to high-value products leading to the mitigation of atmospheric pollution.

Review Article: Synthesis, properties, and applications of fluorescent diamond particles

Diamond particles containing color centers-fluorescent crystallographic defects embedded within the diamond lattice-outperform other classes of fluorophores by providing a combination of unmatched photostability, intriguing coupled magneto-optical properties, intrinsic biocompatibility, and outstanding mechanical and chemical robustness. This exceptional combination of properties positions fluorescent diamond particles as unique fluorophores with emerging applications in a variety of fields, including bioimaging, ultrasensitive metrology at the nanoscale, fluorescent tags in industrial applications, and even potentially as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents. However, production of fluorescent nanodiamond (FND) is nontrivial, since it requires irradiation with high-energy particles to displace carbon atoms and create vacancies-a primary constituent in the majority color centers. In this review, centrally focused on material developments, major steps of FND production are discussed with emphasis on current challenges in the field and possible solutions. The authors demonstrate how the combination of fluorescent spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance provides valuable insight into the types of radiation-induced defects formed and their evolution upon thermal annealing, thereby guiding FND performance optimization. A recent breakthrough process allowing for production of fluorescent diamond particles with vibrant blue, green, and red fluorescence is also discussed. Finally, the authors conclude with demonstrations of a few FND applications in the life science arena and in industry.

Natural Nanofibrous Cellulose-Derived Solid Acid Catalysts

Solid acid catalysts (SACs) have attracted continuous research interest in past years as they play a pivotal role in establishing environmentally friendly and sustainable catalytic processes for various chemical industries. Development of low-cost and efficient SACs applicable to different catalysis processes are of immense significance but still very challenging so far. Here, we report a new kind of SACs consisting of sulfonated carbon nanofibers that are prepared via incomplete carbonization of low-cost natural nanofibrous cellulose followed by sulphonation with sulfuric acid. The prepared SACs feature nanofibrous network structures, high specific surface area, and abundant sulfonate as well as hydroxyl and carboxyl groups. Remarkably, the nanofibrous SACs exhibit superior performance to the state-of-the-art SACs for a wide range of acid-catalyzed reactions, including dimerization of α-methylstyrene, esterification of oleic acid, and pinacol rearrangement. The present approach holds great promise for developing new families of economic but efficient SACs based on natural precursors via scalable and sustainable protocols in the future.

Monitoring spin coherence of single nitrogen-vacancy centers in nanodiamonds during pH changes in aqueous buffer solutions

We report on the sensing stability of quantum nanosensors in aqueous buffer solutions for the two detection schemes of quantum decoherence spectroscopy and nanoscale thermometry. The electron spin properties of single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in 25 nm-sized nanodiamonds have been characterized by observing individual nanodiamonds during a continuous pH change from 4 to 11. We have determined the stability of the NV quantum sensors during the pH change as the fluctuations of ±12% and ±0.2 MHz for the spin coherence time (T₂) and the resonance frequency (ω₀) of their mean values, which are comparable to the instrument error of the measurement system. We discuss the importance of characterizing the sensing stability during the pH change and how the present observation affects the measurement scheme of nanodiamond-based NV quantum sensing.

We report on the sensing stability of quantum nanosensors in aqueous buffer solutions for the two detection schemes of quantum decoherence spectroscopy and nanoscale thermometry.

Polydopamine encapsulation of fluorescent nanodiamonds for biomedical applications

Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) are promising bio-imaging probes compared with other fluorescent nanomaterials such as quantum dots, dye-doped nanoparticles, and metallic nanoclusters, due to their remarkable optical properties and excellent biocompatibility. Nevertheless, they are prone to aggregation in physiological salt solutions, and modifying their surface to conjugate biologically active agents remains challenging. Here, inspired by the adhesive protein of marine mussels, we demonstrate encapsulation of FNDs within a polydopamine (PDA) shell. These PDA surfaces are readily modified via Michael addition or Schiff base reactions with molecules presenting thiol or nitrogen derivatives. We describe modification of PDA shells by thiol terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-SH) molecules to enhance colloidal stability and biocompatibility of FNDs. We demonstrate their use as fluorescent probes for cell imaging; we find that PEGylated FNDs are taken up by HeLa cells and mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and exhibit reduced nonspecific membrane adhesion. Furthermore, we demonstrate functionalization with biotin-PEG-SH and perform long-term high-resolution single-molecule fluorescence based tracking measurements of FNDs tethered via streptavidin to individual biotinylated DNA molecules. Our robust polydopamine encapsulation and functionalization strategy presents a facile route to develop FNDs as multifunctional labels, drug delivery vehicles, and targeting agents for biomedical applications.

Impact of Surface Functionalization on the Quantum Coherence of Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers in Nanodiamonds

Nanoscale quantum probes such as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamonds have demonstrated remarkable sensing capabilities over the past decade as control over fabrication and manipulation of these systems has evolved. The biocompatibility and rich surface chemistry of diamonds has added to the utility of these probes but, as the size of these nanoscale systems is reduced, the surface chemistry of diamond begins to impact the quantum properties of the NV center. In this work, we systematically study the effect of the diamond surface chemistry on the quantum coherence of the NV center in nanodiamonds (NDs) 50 nm in size. Our results show that a borane-reduced diamond surface can on average double the spin relaxation time of individual NV centers in nanodiamonds when compared to thermally oxidized surfaces. Using a combination of infrared and X-ray absorption spectroscopy techniques, we correlate the changes in quantum relaxation rates with the conversion of sp² carbon to C-O and C-H bonds on the diamond surface. These findings implicate double-bonded carbon species as a dominant source of spin noise for near surface NV centers. The link between the surface chemistry and quantum coherence indicates that through tailored engineering of the surface, the quantum properties and magnetic sensitivity of these nanoscale systems may approach that observed in bulk diamond.

High-yield fabrication and properties of 1.4 nm nanodiamonds with narrow size distribution

Detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) with a typical size of 5 nm have attracted broad interest in science and technology. Further size reduction of DNDs would bring these nanoparticles to the molecular-size level and open new prospects for research and applications in various fields, ranging from quantum physics to biomedicine. Here we show a controllable size reduction of the DND mean size down to 1.4 nm without significant particle loss and with additional disintegration of DND core agglutinates by air annealing, leading to a significantly narrowed size distribution (±0.7 nm). This process is scalable to large quantities. Such molecular-sized DNDs keep their diamond structure and characteristic DND features as shown by Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, STEM and EELS. The size of 1 nm is identified as a limit, below which the DNDs become amorphous.

Electron spin control of optically levitated nanodiamonds in vacuum

Electron spins of diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres are important quantum resources for nanoscale sensing and quantum information. Combining NV spins with levitated optomechanical resonators will provide a hybrid quantum system for novel applications. Here we optically levitate a nanodiamond and demonstrate electron spin control of its built-in NV centres in low vacuum. We observe that the strength of electron spin resonance (ESR) is enhanced when the air pressure is reduced. To better understand this system, we investigate the effects of trap power and measure the absolute internal temperature of levitated nanodiamonds with ESR after calibration of the strain effect. We also observe that oxygen and helium gases have different effects on both the photoluminescence and the ESR contrast of nanodiamond NV centres, indicating potential applications of NV centres in oxygen gas sensing. Our results pave the way towards a levitated spin–optomechanical system for studying macroscopic quantum mechanics.

Hybrid systems coupling electron spins and optomechanical responses are of potential use in quantum information systems and sensing technology. Here, the authors demonstrate optical levitation of nanodiamonds and the control of their nitrogen vacancy spins in vacuum.

Modulation of nitrogen vacancy charge state and fluorescence in nanodiamonds using electrochemical potential

The negatively charged nitrogen vacancy (NV(-)) center in diamond has attracted strong interest for a wide range of sensing and quantum information processing applications. To this end, recent work has focused on controlling the NV charge state, whose stability strongly depends on its electrostatic environment. Here, we demonstrate that the charge state and fluorescence dynamics of single NV centers in nanodiamonds with different surface terminations can be controlled by an externally applied potential difference in an electrochemical cell. The voltage dependence of the NV charge state can be used to stabilize the NV(-) state for spin-based sensing protocols and provides a method of charge state-dependent fluorescence sensing of electrochemical potentials. We detect clear NV fluorescence modulation for voltage changes down to 100 mV, with a single NV and down to 20 mV with multiple NV centers in a wide-field imaging mode. These results suggest that NV centers in nanodiamonds could enable parallel optical detection of biologically relevant electrochemical potentials.

Nanodiamond-Decorated Silica Spheres as a Chromatographic Material

Nanodiamond (ND) particles (∼5 nm), obtained from detonation soot, were oxidized and/or thermally hydrogenated. Both, the non-hydrogenated and hydrogenated ND particles were successfully coupled to the surface of micrometer-size organo-silica particles. A thin layer of nanodiamonds (NDs) decorating the surface of the organo-silica particles was visible on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and infrared spectroscopy (IR) were used to characterize the NDs prior to coupling and to confirm attachment onto the organo-silica particles. Both, ultraviolet (UV) radiation and a chemical initiator were proved to be effective radical initiators for the ND-silica coupling reaction, although for scale-up purposes the chemical initiation was more advantageous to produce the ND-silica composite. Commercially available nanodiamond primary particles were also coupled to the surface of silica particles. The ND-containing silica particles were packed into chromatographic columns to study their initial feasibility as adsorbent material for liquid chromatography. The organo-silica particles decorated with hydrogenated NDs were shown to possess reversed phase type (i.e., hydrophobic) behavior toward the probe compounds, whereas silica particles decorated with the non-hydrogenated NDs showed polar (i.e., hydrophilic) interactions, both under liquid chromatographic conditions.

Science and engineering of nanodiamond particle surfaces for biological applications (Review)

Diamond has outstanding bulk properties such as super hardness, chemical inertness, biocompatibility, luminescence, to name just a few. In the nanoworld, in order to exploit these outstanding bulk properties, the surfaces of nanodiamond (ND) particles must be accordingly engineered for specific applications. Modification of functional groups on the ND's surface and the corresponding electrostatic properties determine their colloidal stability in solvents, formation of photonic crystals, controlled adsorption and release of cargo molecules, conjugation with biomolecules and polymers, and cellular uptake. The optical activity of the luminescent color centers in NDs depends on their proximity to the ND's surface and surface termination. In order to engineer the ND surface, a fundamental understanding of the specific structural features and sp(3)-sp(2) phase transformations on the surface of ND particles is required. In the case of ND particles produced by detonation of carbon containing explosives (detonation ND), it should also be taken into account that its structure depends on the synthesis parameters and subsequent processing. Thus, for development of a strategy of surface modification of detonation ND, it is imperative to know details of its production. In this review, the authors discuss ND particles structure, strategies for surface modification, electrokinetic properties of NDs in suspensions, and conclude with a brief overview of the relevant bioapplications.

Valence holes observed in nanodiamonds dispersed in water

Colloidal dispersion is essential for most nanodiamond applications, but its influence on nanodiamond electronic properties remains unknown. Here we have probed the electronic structure of oxidized detonation nanodiamonds dispersed in water by using soft X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopies at the carbon and oxygen K edges. Upon dispersion in water, the π* transitions from sp(2)-hybridized carbon disappear, and holes in the valence band are observed.