What are Nanodiamonds?

por Malvern Panalytical, Tuesday, 3rd December 2024

Shine bright like a nanodiamond… 

Also known as diamond nanoparticles, nanodiamonds (NDs) are tiny particles with a diameter of roughly 5 nm (5 billionths of a meter). They were first discovered in 1963, being created as a product of nuclear explosions (so-called detonation nanodiamond) from nuclear bombs that used carbon-based explosives.1,2 Despite their existence being discovered through one of mankind’s most destructive forces however, in a full 180, they are now even used in making peace – In 2012 the SKN Company was awarded the Ig Nobel Peace Prize for converting old Russian ammunition into NDs.3 

A tiny, versatile platform 

As research and knowledge on nanodiamonds has progressed over time, a wide range of application areas for them has been revealed, owing to their highly tailorable physico-chemical properties. 

A standout sector for them has become health and pharmaceuticals. In consumer products, NDs have been used to improving the performance of cosmetics. In this context, NDs absorb more active ingredient than the skin does alone, they can penetrate deeper layers of the skin, and they form strong bonds with water, which keeps the skin hydrated for longer.1 

In the field of Oncology, NDs have been functionalized by attaching drugs and other theranostic molecules to the surface. The size and chemistry of NDs allow them to cross the blood-brain-barrier and stay internalized in tumors for longer, increasing therapeutic benefits and reducing the negative side-effects, for instance, when particles + drugs are released from the tumor cells.5,6 

Fluorescent NDs have found use as biological sensors, owing to their selective manipulation of emission and highly sensitive detection limits.7 

Then in dentistry, NDs have appeared as a tool in jaw & tooth repair operations. They bind rapidly to the bone morphogenetic protein and fibroblast growth factor, and are delivered slowly over time and in a non-invasive way, which can combat osteonecrosis in the jaw.8 

Away from pharma, the automotive industry makes use of NDs as a micro-abrasive additive to oil. They reduce friction between the piston and engine walls, extending the life of parts and improving efficiency.9 

The rapidly advancing optoelectronic and computing industries are also engaging with NDs. As NDs function at room temperature, while dye-based processors require low temperatures, NDs are linked to faster quantum computing, and high-performance nanomechanical, and nanochemical sensors, and nanoelectrochemical systems.1 

How can we get the best out of Nanodiamonds? 

The size of NDs is central to their functionality. The size influences their tailorable surface chemistry, optical & thermal properties, and toxicity, so accurate characterization is important to hit the right applications.  

Malvern Panalytical’s Zetasizer Advance is the perfect assistant for this. Dynamic Light Scattering can be used to measure the size of the NDs, while zeta potential measurements can assess the charge and stability of NDs in suspensions – important for medical applications where surface modification may feature. 

Additionally, Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis with the NanoSight Pro goes hand-in-hand with nanoscale size measurements, by providing concentration and aggregation measurements, while being able to distinguish between suitably labeled and unlabeled particles through a fluorescence mode. 

References 

  1. A. Feinberg, (2014).  ”How These Microscopic Diamonds Are Going to Shape the Future”. Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/how-these-microscopic-diamonds-are-going-to-shape-the-f-1459620387 
  2. V. V. Danilenko, (2004). “On the history of the discovery of nanodiamond synthesis”. Physics of the Solid State. 46 (4): 595–599 doi:10.1134/1.1711431 
  3. The 2012 Ig Nobel Prize Winners https://improbable.com/ig/winners/#ig2012
  4. V. Mochalin, O. Shenderova, D. Ho, et al. (2012). The properties and applications of nanodiamonds. Nature Nanotech 7, 11–23 https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2011.209
  5. J. Qin, X. Yang, C. Lv, Y. Li, K. Liu, J. Zang, X. Yang, L. Dong, C. Shan, (2021). Nanodiamonds: Synthesis, properties, and applications in nanomedicine, Materials & Design, 210, 110091, ISSN 0264-1275, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2021.110091
  6. G. Xi, E. Robinson, B. Mania-Farnell, E. F. Vanin, K. Shim, T. Takao, E. V. Allender, C. S. Mayanil, M. B. Soares, D. Ho, T. Tomita, (2014). Convection-enhanced delivery of nanodiamond drug delivery platforms for intracranial tumor treatment, Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine, 10 (2): 381-391, ISSN 1549-9634, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2013.07.013
  7. A. Ermakova, G. Pramanik, J.-M. Cai, G. Algara-Siller, U. Kaiser, T. Weil, Y.-K. Tzeng, H. C. Chang, L. P. McGuinness, M. B. Plenio, B. Naydenov, and F. Jelezko, (2013). Detection of a Few Metallo-Protein Molecules Using Color Centers in Nanodiamonds, Nano Letters, 13 (7), 3305-3309, DOI: 10.1021/nl4015233. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nl4015233
  8. B. Deane, (2013) “Are nanodiamond-encrusted teeth the future of dental implants?” UCLA Newsroom https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/nanodiamond-encrusted-teeth-248066
  9. Qiao, Yl., Sun, Xf., Xu, Bs. et al. (2005). High temperature tribological behaviors of nano-diamond as oil additive. J Cent. South Univ. Technol. 12, 181–185. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-005-0036-7 
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