Nanodiamonds created from plastic

German physicists have for the first time recovered intact nanodiamonds formed from a laser shot on plastic from plastic bottles. The experiment was conducted in August 2026 by physicists from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and the University of Rostock in the Czech Republic. Each nanodiamond measures approximately three nanometers in size. At this scale, they could have applications beyond industrial polishing.

Laser facility used in the experiment

The experiment took place at ELI Beamlines, a laser facility south of Prague. The target was a 100-micrometer-thick PET film, the polymer used in water bottles. The laser fired three times per minute at the film, which advanced after each pulse. Each shot triggered a shock wave that compressed the plastic to nearly 100 gigapascals, approximately a million times atmospheric pressure. In a few nanoseconds, the carbon reorganized into a diamond structure.

Nanodiamonds ejected at high speed

Immediately after their formation, the nanodiamonds were ejected at more than 10 kilometers per second. At this speed, they would break against a rigid surface. The team placed a hydro-soluble gel behind the film, sufficiently soft to cushion the impact. Once dissolved in water, the gel released the particles intact.

Nanodiamonds measured precisely

Under an electron microscope, the crystals measured an average of 3.23 nanometers. Each contains approximately 3,000 carbon atoms. Of the 98 crystals measured, the size variation remained below one nanometer.

Alternative method to produce nanodiamonds

The industry currently produces nanodiamonds through explosive detonation. The study was published in ... and further details can be found on Science et vie.