title: On the thermodynamic path enabling a room-temperature, laser-assisted graphite to nanodiamond transformation.
abstract: Nanodiamonds are the subject of active research for their potential applications in nano-magnetometry, quantum optics, bioimaging and water cleaning processes. Here, we present a novel thermodynamic model that describes a graphite-liquid-diamond route for the synthesis of nanodiamonds. Its robustness is proved via the production of nanodiamonds powders at room-temperature and standard atmospheric pressure by pulsed laser ablation of pyrolytic graphite in water. The aqueous environment provides a confinement mechanism that promotes diamond nucleation and growth, and a biologically compatible medium for suspension of nanodiamonds. Moreover, we introduce a facile physico-chemical method that does not require harsh chemical or temperature conditions to remove the graphitic byproducts of the laser ablation process. A full characterization of the nanodiamonds by electron and Raman spectroscopies is reported. Our model is also corroborated by comparison with experimental data from the literature.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio IdEA, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Trento, via Sommarive 14, I-38123 Povo (TN) Italy.|Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, corso Bettini 31 Rovereto (TN) Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gorrini
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio IdEA, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Trento, via Sommarive 14, I-38123 Povo (TN) Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cazzanelli
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio IdEA, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Trento, via Sommarive 14, I-38123 Povo (TN) Italy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bazzanella
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio IdEA, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Trento, via Sommarive 14, I-38123 Povo (TN) Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Edla
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Nanotechnology Innovation, piazza San Silvestro, 12 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gemmi
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Nanotechnology Innovation, piazza San Silvestro, 12 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cappello
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Nanotechnology Innovation, piazza San Silvestro, 12 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: David
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, corso Bettini 31 Rovereto (TN) Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dorigoni
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, corso Bettini 31 Rovereto (TN) Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bifone
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio IdEA, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Trento, via Sommarive 14, I-38123 Povo (TN) Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miotello