Laser shocks turn plastic into ultra-small, high-purity nanodiamonds
Nanodiamonds are tiny diamond particles that usually measure mere millionths of a millimeter.
Nanodiamonds are tiny diamond particles that usually measure mere millionths of a millimeter.
The short version
- They are extremely hard, stable and heat-resistant and highly adaptable for various purposes in medicine, new materials, catalysis and energy technology.
- By compressing plastic with lasers, researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the University of Rostock are now able to systematically produce high-purity, ultra-small diamonds with a narrow size distribution.
- This is impossible to achieve with conventional methods such as explosions.
What happened
As a scalable technology, laser compression offers great potential for improved, clean and sustainable production of ultra-small nanodiamonds. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies .
Why it matters
Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: "We did expect nanodiamonds to form under these conditions.
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