08 Jun A molecular route to nanodiamonds
Nanodiamonds are considered promising materials for quantum technologies, sensing applications and biomedicine. However, their production has long been associated with significant challenges, as it has been difficult to simultaneously achieve uniform particle sizes, high purity and precisely tunable optical properties. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research have now reported a new approach. The team led by Yingke Wu and Tanja Weil does not produce nanodiamonds by crushing larger diamonds but instead assembles them from molecularly defined carbon building blocks.
Using high pressure and high temperatures, the researchers directly converted so-called nanographenes into highly crystalline nanodiamonds. According to the team, the main advantage of this bottom-up approach lies in the precise control of material properties. Because the structure and composition of the precursor molecules can be defined exactly, highly uniform nanodiamonds with sizes of only three to four nanometers can be produced. In addition, the researchers succeeded in incorporating optically active color centers directly into the diamond lattice during synthesis. This makes it possible to produce fluorescent nanodiamonds with tailored optical properties without the need for additional irradiation or implantation steps.
According to the researchers, the work could open up new opportunities for quantum sensors, photonic devices and diamond-based nanomaterials. The team also sees potential in biomedicine, where nanodiamonds could serve as robust optical markers for visualizing processes in cells and biological systems.
The study involved researchers from the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), Goethe University Frankfurt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, the University of Cambridge, Saarland University, the University of Göttingen and Ulm University.
Original Publication
[Jiaxu Liang et al.: Bottom-Up Synthesis of Molecular Nanodiamond from Nanographene; Nature (2026),
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10669-3]
Source: www.mpip-mainz.mpg.de
Image: Katharina Maisenbacher / MPI-P