Synthesis of hybrid powder nanomaterial consisting of detonation nanodiamonds/carbon nanotubes and its stable reversible water nanofluids

Researchers around the world are actively synthesizing and exploring hybrid carbon nanomaterials based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) and detonation nanodiamonds (DND). The motivation for study of such materials is the desire to combine the best properties of DND and CNT in a hybrid material. Modern industry can use hybrid materials in various areas of modern industry: from microelectronics and biomedicine to additives in composite materials. However, most of the currently synthesized hybrid materials of the DND–CNT composition are films, which makes it impossible to use them in many promising applications, for example, as additives in composite materials. This work shows the possibility of synthesizing a homogeneous hybrid material of the DNA–CNT composition in the form of powder by growing the CNT on the surface of the DNA using the CVD (chemical vapor deposition) method. Mass fraction of CNT was 32 wt. %. It was found that CNTs evenly cover the surface of DND agglomerates. A stable, reversible, aqueous suspension of a hybrid material with an average particle size of 50-60 nm was also obtained. The method of synthesis of the hybrid material with the DND–CNT composition, which we proposed in this work, will make it possible to expand the possible applications of such materials, as well as experimentally evaluate their effectiveness.