Nanodiamond Thin Films on Titanium Substrates

A new type of electrically conducting nanosized diamond film deposit is grown on titanium substrates in a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition process. The deposition process occurs at 80 Torr in a helium atmosphere with only hydrogen (1.95%) and methane (0.73%) admitted and yields a deposit growing approximately 0.5 μm h −1 thick. Electron microscopy indicates the formation of nanosized diamond platelets. The electrochemical properties of nanodiamond when immersed in aqueous electrolyte solution are explored for the system, the system, the oxidation of hydroquinone, ascorbic acid, and the oxidation of dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Compared to boron-doped diamond materials, nanodiamond is a highly active electrode material with very low overpotentials for all redox systems studied. For ascorbic acid, diffusion-controlled oxidation is detected at potentials approximately 0.5 V more negative compared to those observed at boron-doped diamond electrodes. The electrical conductivity, high surface reactivity, and electrochemical characteristics are explained in terms of many defects and active surface sites.