Carbonization of Brominated Adamantane and Nanodiamond Formation at High Pressures

Dibromoadamantane, C10H14Br2, carbonization has been studied in detail at a pressure of 8 GPa and temperatures of up to 1700°C. The results demonstrate that, starting at dibromoadamantane decomposition temperatures in the range 600–700°C, the major solid carbonization product is nanodiamond. Relatively low, well-controlled synthesis parameters offer the possibility of controlling the size, morphology, and structure of nanodiamond.