Functionalization of Nanoscale Diamond Powder: Fluoro-, Alkyl-, Amino-, and Amino Acid-Nanodiamond Derivatives

Abstract

The reaction of nanoscale diamond (ND) powder with an elemental fluorine/hydrogen mixture at temperatures varying from 150 to 470 °C resulted in the high degree of ND surface fluorination yielding a fluoro-nanodiamond with up to 8.6 at. % fluorine content. The fluoro-nanodiamond was used as a precursor for preparation of the series of functionalized nanodiamonds by subsequent reactions with alkyllithium reagents, diamines, and amino acids. The fluoro-nanodiamond and corresponding alkyl-, amino-, and amino acid-nanodiamond derivatives were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermal gravimetry-mass spectrometry (TG-MS) measurements. In comparison with the pristine nanodiamond, all functionalized nanodiamonds show an improved solubility in polar organic solvents, e.g., alcohols and THF, and a reduced particle agglomeration. The developed method...