Chemists Have Found A New Way To Grow Diamonds

Researchers at the University of Tokyo in Japan have made a breakthrough in diamond synthesis technology, developing a revolutionary new approach that challenges traditional methods.

Instead of using the extreme pressures and temperatures associated with classical fusion, Professor Eiichi Nakamura and his team used a unique strategy. They used the molecule adamantane (C₁₀H₁₆), whose structure is a miniature “seed” of a diamond lattice.

The key was to transform this molecule into a real diamond by selectively removing hydrogen atoms, forming new carbon-carbon bonds, and building a three-dimensional crystal structure.

The uniqueness of the experiment was the use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which made it possible for the first time to observe the process of diamond formation at the atomic level. Scientists exposed adamantane crystals to electron beams in a vacuum at ultra-low temperatures.

“It was like magic – we saw how the molecules gradually turned into perfect nanodiamonds,” describes Nakamura process.

The experiment showed that in this way it is possible to create nanodiamonds with a diameter of up to 10 nanometers, which have an ideal cubic crystal structure. Interestingly, only adamantane showed such conversion ability, highlighting the unique molecular architecture of this compound.

The method opens up new horizons in quantum technologies (creation of doped quantum dots), electron lithography and the study of natural processes of diamond formation. Chemists have proven that electrons do not destroy molecules, but can guide them through precisely defined chemical transformations.