nano-onion otherwise nested nanoparticle (rus. луковичная форма углерода otherwise нанолуковица) — nanoscale carbon structure formed by nested carbon spheres.

Description

Heating of detonation nanodiamonds in an inert atmosphere (nitrogen, helium) or in vacuum to 900°C leads to release of a complex gas mainly composed of CO2, N2 and CH4. At higher temperatures graphitisation of the nanodiamond begins, i.e. the nanodiamond turns into graphite, usually nanoscale graphite (so-called nanographite). The onion-like carbon is an intermediary stage in this process. The nanodiamonds change their structure and form nested carbon spheres (also called nanomatreshka), a carbon bulb or a multilayer fullerene. This bulb can again form a nanodiamond after being treated by an electronic beam.

The possibility of forming closed conductive onion-like carbon layers on the surface nanodiamond particles of 4-5 nm in diameter during thermal or electron-beam annealing offers the prospect of creating electronic structures with quantum dots suitable for electrical signal switching, as well as the detection and generation of electromagnetic radiation.

Author

  • Goldt Ilya V.

Source

  1. Vul Ya., Aleksenskiy A. E., Dideykin A. T. Detonation nanodiamonds: technology, properties and applications // Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies in Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems. — Oxford, UK, 2009.