Nanodiamonds from coal under ambient conditions

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Coal is an abundant, inexpensive carbon source, underutilized beyond combustion.
• Current nanodiamond synthesis relies on expensive precursors like graphite or methane.
• A cost-effective and sustainable method for nanodiamond production is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, green, top-down strategy for synthesizing nanodiamonds from coal.
• To investigate the phase transformation process from coal to nanodiamonds.
• To characterize the properties of the synthesized nanodiamonds.

Main Methods:

• Laser ablation in liquid (LAL) process applied to various coal types.
• Synthesis conducted at room temperature and atmospheric pressure.
• Thermodynamic and kinetic analysis of coal-to-nanodiamond phase transformation.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized cubic phase nanodiamonds with a mean size of 3 nm from coal.
• Developed a scalable and environmentally friendly synthesis route.
• Synthesized nanodiamonds form soluble, monodisperse colloids with stable fluorescence in water and alcohol.

Conclusions:

• Coal is a viable and economical precursor for nanodiamond synthesis.
• The LAL method provides an efficient pathway for producing high-quality nanodiamonds.
• The fluorescent properties of coal-derived nanodiamonds open potential applications in various fields.