Scalable Reshaping of Diamond Particles via Programmable Nanosculpting

TL;DR

This paper introduces a scalable, cost-effective method using air oxidation to precisely shape diamond particles at scale, enabling diverse geometries and enhanced functionalities for advanced technological applications.

Contribution

It demonstrates a novel application of air oxidation for scalable, precise shaping of diamond particles, guided by experimental and simulation-based shape design.

Findings

Diamond shapes can be controlled via facet-specific oxidation.

Nanosculpted diamonds outperform raw diamonds in applications.

A shape library guides diamond fabrication.

Abstract

Diamond particles have many interesting properties and possible applications. However, producing diamond particles with well-defined shapes at scale is challenging because diamonds are chemically inert and extremely hard. Here, we show air oxidation, a routine method for purifying diamonds, can be used to precisely shape diamond particles at scale. By exploiting the distinct reactivities of different crystal facets and defects inside the diamond, layer-by-layer outward-to-inward and inward-to-outward oxidation produced diverse diamond shapes including sphere, twisted surface, pyramidal islands, inverted pyramids, nano-flowers, and hollow polygons. The nanosculpted diamonds had more and finer features that enabled them to outperform the original raw diamonds in various applications. Using experimental observations and Monte Carlo simulations, we built a shape library that guides the design and fabrication of diamond particles with well-defined shapes and functional value. Our study presents a simple, economical and scalable way to produce shape-customized diamonds for various photonics, catalysis, quantum and information technology applications.