Nanotechnology and diamonds go together like a horse and carriage … I don’t often resist song references and this was not one of those times. (For anyone who doesn’t recognize it, “Love and marriage go together like …).

Given how strongly diamonds are associated with nanotechnology, it’s good to see that a team from the A. J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute has published a review of nanodiamond research. From the Jan. 11, 2012 news item on Nanowerk,

Nearly 50 years ago scientists discovered that detonating powerful explosives had the ability to create, not just destroy. Nanodiamonds, diamond-structured particles measuring less than 10 nanometers in diameter, which are the resultant residue from a TNT or Hexogen explosion in a contained space, are now being studied in a variety of science, technology and health applications. A team of researchers who specialize in nanotechnology, led by Dr. Yury Gogotsi, director of the A.J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute, offered a review of nanodiamond research, in the December 18 edition of Nature Nanotechnology (“The properties and applications of nanodiamonds “) to sift through new ways scientists are using these tiny treasures.

Courtesy of reading Neal Stephenson’s science fiction novel, Diamond Age, I tend to think of materials made from nanodiamonds as being construction materials but this team is suggesting some other applications (from the news item),

According to the piece, nanodiamonds possess a unique combination of qualities, such as accessible surface area, versatile chemistry, chemical stability and biocompatibility. These traits, and the fact that nanodiamonds are non-toxic, make the particles ideal candidates for a variety of tasks including drug delivery cancer diagnostics, and mimicking proteins.

For anyone who’s interested about the Drexel Nanotechnology Institute and their Nanomaterials Group, here’s a link to their webpage.