Nanodiamonds, Dean Ho

Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) have drawn a great deal of attention over the past several years, and their applications and development potential are proving to be manifold and vast. The first and only book of its kind, Fluorescent Nanodiamonds is a comprehensive guide to the basic science and technical information needed to fully understand the fundamentals of FNDs and their potential applications across an array of domains. In demonstrating the importance of FNDs in biological applications, the authors bring together all relevant chemistry, physics, materials science and biology.

Nanodiamonds are produced by powerful cataclysmic events such as explosions, volcanic eruptions and meteorite impacts. They also can be created in the lab by high-pressure high-temperature treatment of graphite or detonating an explosive in a reactor vessel. A single imperfection can give a nanodiamond a specific, isolated color center which allows it to function as a single, trapped atom. Much smaller than the thickness of a human hair, a nanodiamond can have a huge surface area that allows it to bond with a variety of other materials. Because of their non-toxicity, nanodiamonds may be useful in biomedical applications, such as drug delivery and gene therapy.

• The most comprehensive reference on a topic of rapidly increasing interest among academic and industrial researchers across an array of fields
• Includes numerous case studies and practical examples from many areas of research and industrial applications, as well as fascinating and instructive historical perspectives
• Each chapter addresses, in-depth, a single integral topic including the fundamental properties, synthesis, mechanisms and functionalisation of FNDs
• The first book published by the key patent holder with his research group in the field of FNDs

Fluorescent Nanodiamonds is an important working resource for a broad range of scientists and engineers in industry and academia. It will also be a welcome reference for instructors in chemistry, physics, materials science, biology and related fields.

The relationship between physical and chemical parameters sits at the heart of what this book is about. Recent advances in the synthesis of nanodiamonds either by HPHT or detonation are covered, along with extended characterization of the core and surface of nanodiamonds, focusing on the most advanced experimental tools developed for nanoscale diagnosis.

Each technique presented includes presentation of both principles and applications. This combination of advanced characterizations offers readers a better understanding of the relationship that exists between physical and chemical parameters of nanodiamonds and their properties.

In particular, the role of structural defects or chemical impurities is illustrated. Toxicity of nanodiamonds for cells is also discussed, as It is an essential issue for their bioapplications. Final sections in the book cover the main promising new advances and applications of nanodiamonds, the formation of hybrids, and their use in polymer and oil composites.

• Provides a focused analysis of the relationship between the physical, chemical parameters, and properties of nanodiamonds
• Allows the reader to better understand the material characterization of nanodiamonds and how they can be most successfully used
• Presents R&D scientists and engineers with the information they need to understand how nanodiamonds can be used to create more efficient products
• Includes novel applications, for example, the formation of hybrids based on nanodiamonds, that are covered in detail