Diamondoid Nanostructures as sp -Carbon-Based Gas Sensors.

Diamondoids, sp -hybridized nanometer-sized diamond-like hydrocarbons (nanodiamonds), difunctionalized with hydroxy and primary phosphine oxide groups, enable the assembly of the first sp -C-based chemical sensors by vapor deposition. Both pristine nanodiamonds and palladium nanolayered composites can be used to detect toxic NO and NH gases. This carbon-based gas sensor technology allows reversible NO detection down to 50 ppb and NH detection at 25-100 ppm concentration with fast response and recovery processes at 100 °C.