Carbon nano-onions (CNOs), discovered by Ugarte in 1992, are multi-layered fullerenes that are spherical analogs of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with a broad range of diameters. CNOs synthesized by graphitization of nanodiamonds (N-CNOs) with diameters from 6 to 10 nm and 7-10 graphitic layers are the subjects of our research. During graphitization of nanodiamonds, the preferential exfoliation of (111) and (110) planes takes place to form (001) graphitic planes. Typical N-CNOs with varying numbers of graphitic layers and their corresponding surface area and number of carbon atoms are shown in Fig. 1. N-CNOs are more reactive than other CNOs due to their smaller size, high curvature and perhaps density of surface defects. We are exploring potential applications in electronics, biology and polymer composites.
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