| Jul 17, 2013 |
Understanding ultrafine nanodiamond formation using nanostructured explosives |
| (Nanowerk News) "Understanding ultrafine nanodiamond formation using nanostructured explosives" - this is the title of an article published in Nature by a scientific team of the joint research unit NS3E (ISL – French National Research Agency CNRS – University of Strasbourg). It describes the elaboration of a new technique for the synthesis of nanodiamonds by the detonation of nanostructured explosive charges thus obtaining nanodiamond particles of a size comprised between 1 and 3 nm. |
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| Photograph of the explosive charge (middle). SEM micrograph of the microstructured (top) and nanostructured (bottom) explosive pellets. |
| This is the first time worldwide that such an experience has been performed. Never before a nanostructured charge has been detonated to produce diamond nanoparticles. These research activities will also contribute to a better understanding of detonation mechanisms on a local level. |
| Nanodiamonds can be used in multiple applications such as medical therapy (as kind of tracers), cryptography, optical protection, hardening of new materials etc. |
| Up to now, the synthesis of nanodiamonds has been realized by detonating microstructured explosives, but this method only permitted the production of extremely small quantities of nanodiamonds having a size of 1 to 3 nm. The passage from a microstructered charge to a nanostructured one thanks to a new proceeding of nanocristallisation - also developed by ISL and CNRS- allowed the NS3E team to synthesize finer nanodiamonds in bigger quantities. |
| Source: Deutsch-Französisches Forschungsinstitut Saint-Louis |
