Surface chemistry of nanodiamonds

The experimental data available in the literature and the results obtained by the author in research into the structure of nanodiamonds and the physicochemical and chemical properties of their surface are generalized. An account is given of the problems concerning the chemical state and modification of the nanodiamond surface in gaseous and liquid media and the influence of modification on the sorption and catalytic properties of nanodiamonds, their compactibility, and sintering. The similarity and difference in the behavior of nanodiamonds and diamond macrocrystals in oxidation processes are discussed. The activation energies of oxidation of nanodiamonds by different reagents are determined in the absence and presence of catalysts. (C) 2004 MAIK Nauka / Interperiodica.