Prof. Dr. Anke Krüger from University of Stuttgart

News from the Carbon Universe: Synthesis, Properties and Applications of nanoscale diamond materials

Nanodiamond is an attractive material for a multitude of applications. This is due to its unique properties which allow the use of nanodiamond in biological environments but also under very harsh conditions. The properties of nanoscale diamond strongly depend on its size and morphology, and can be tuned e.g. by modifying the surface termination in a controlled way. In addition, electronic properties of diamond, e.g. the ability of barrier-free electron emission can be controlled not only by the polarity of its surface but also by doping and nanostructuration.

In this lecture, the different types of nanoscale diamond will be presented with the synthesis, properties and possible applications. This will include the formation of differently doped nanoscale diamond particles, the controlled surface termination and subsequent functionalization, e.g. with drug moelcules, sensors, photosensitizers as well as protein-repellent moieties. Examples of applications of the obtained materials in quantum sensing, bioimaging, photocatalysis and tissue engineering will be given.