Electron irradiation converts hydrocarbon crystals into nanodiamonds

Nanodiamonds – important for wide-ranging applications, including biomedical imaging, drug delivery, quantum computing and sensors – have now been made from petroleum-derived adamantane crystals by firing high-energy electrons at them. The synthesis, which was discovered by chance, makes defect-free nanodiamonds under ultra-low-temperatures in a vacuum without catalysts, additives or a support medium and could offer a quick, safer and low-cost alternative to existing high pressure high temperature methods.