Effective Method for Obtaining the Hydrosols of Detonation Nanodiamond with Particle Size < 4 nm

Abstract

Detonation nanodiamond is a commercially available synthetic diamond that is obtained from the carbon of explosives. It is known that the average particle size of detonation nanodiamond is 4–6 nm. However, it is possible to separate smaller particles. Here we suggest a new approach for the effective separation of detonation nanodiamond particles by centrifugation of a “hydrosol/glycerol” system. The method allows for the production of the detonation nanodiamond hydrosol with a very sharp distribution in size, where more than 85% of particles have a size ranging 1–4 nm. The result is supported by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and dynamic light scattering.