Characterizing Electronic Structure and Morphology of Novel sp3 Carbon Nanomaterials Using Synchrotron Radiation

Carbon is the basis for rich and diverse classes of nanostructures: fullerenes, nanotubes, graphene, and the topic of this talk, nanodiamond. Willey will present an overview of his work using various synchrotron‐based techniques to characterize sp3 carbon molecules and nanomaterials. Willey explores how size, shape, bond strain, and chemical functionality affect electronic structure of sp3 carbon molecules and nanomaterials. Methane, diamondoids, diamond nanoparticles and bulk diamond, from the smallest to largest sp3 carbon structures, express very different properties and electronic structure. At which sizes do diamond-like characteristics emerge? What happens if we take a molecule containing carbon atoms with four neighboring single covalent bonds, but induce bond strain? How might chemical functionalization change desired properties, i.e., negative electron affinity in molecular diamond? This talk will describe what synchrotron radiation is, how it is generated, some of the spectroscopies available, and how such techniques can directly probe electronic structure answering some of these questions in carbon nanomaterials. The talk will also present new data from a work in progress in observing and characterizing diamond nanoparticle formation during small-scale explosive detonation.