Nanodiamonds created from plastic

German physicists have created intact nanodiamonds by using laser shots on plastic from water bottles. These diamonds are extremely small, measuring about three nanometers in size, and could have uses beyond traditional industrial applications.

Laser experiment conducted in Prague

The experiment took place at ELI Beamlines, a high-powered laser facility south of Prague. The target was a thin PET film, the same polymer used in plastic water bottles, which was exposed to rapid laser pulses.

Laser pressure transforms plastic into diamonds

Each laser shot generated a shock wave that compressed the plastic to nearly 100 gigapascals—equivalent to a million times the pressure of Earth's atmosphere. This extreme pressure caused the carbon in the plastic to reorganize into a diamond structure in just a few nanoseconds.

Gel captures nanodiamonds safely

The newly formed nanodiamonds were ejected at speeds exceeding ten kilometers per second. To prevent them from breaking, the researchers used a hydro-soluble gel that cushioned the impact. When dissolved in water, the gel released the nanodiamonds intact.

Nanodiamonds show uniform size

Using an electron microscope, the team found that the nanodiamonds averaged 3.23 nanometers in size, with each containing about 3,000 carbon atoms. The size variation among the 98 measured crystals was less than one nanometer, showing a high level of consistency.

Alternative to explosive diamond production

Currently, the industry produces nanodiamonds using explosive detonation. The study, published in a scientific journal, presents a new method that avoids the risks and complexities of traditional techniques.