Surface Control of Nanodiamond: From Homogeneous Termination to Complex Functional Architectures for Biomedical Applications.

Interest in nanodiamond (ND) has been spurred by its unique properties such as high biocompatibility, versatile surface chemistry, and the possibility to apply it as drug delivery agent, cross-linker, or coating and for sensing applications when luminescent lattice defects such as the NV centers are present in the crystal lattice. Currently, nanodiamond has been used for targeted drug delivery, phototherapeutic applications, and sensing and imaging in cellular environments and in vitro. Furthermore, suitably functionalized nanodiamond is a promising material for tissue engineering applications.