Detonation nanodiamond

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Nanodiamonds, TEM image
Nanodiamonds, TEM image

Detonation nanodiamond is diamond material that originates from a detonation. When an explosive mixture of TNT/RDX (3/2) is detonated (5 GPa, 2000°C) diamond particles with a diameter of ca. 4 nm are formed.

trinitrotoluene (TNT) structure
3
hexogen (RDX) structure

2

[edit] Applications

Commercial products on the base of nanodiamonds are available for the following applications:

  1. Lapping and polishing (e.g. Sufipol);
  2. Additives to engine oils (e.g. ADDO);
  3. Dry lubricants for metal industry (Drawing of W-, Mo-, V-, Rh-wires);
  4. Reinforcing fillers for plastics and rubbers;
  5. Additives to galvanic electrolytes (e.g. DiamoSilb).

Use in medicine-

Prof. Dean Ho, Dr. Houjin Huang, and Dr. Erik Pierstorff at Northwestern University, in collaboration with Dr. Eiji Osawa at The NanoCarbon Research Institute in Japan, have demonstrated that nanomaterials can shuttle chemotherapy drugs to cells without producing the negative effects of today's delivery agents.

Clusters of the nanodiamonds surrounding the drugs block them off from healthy cells, preventing unnecessary damage, and then release them upon reaching the intended targets.

Also, the leftover diamonds, hundreds of thousands of which could cram onto the eye of a needle, don't induce inflammation in cells once they've done their job.

[edit] External links

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