Plasmonic diamond films and related methods

Abstract

Plasmonic diamond films are provided. In an embodiment, a plasmonic diamond film comprises a plurality of plasmonic nanoparticles encapsulated by diamond and distributed on an underlying surface of diamond. Methods of forming the plasmonic diamond films are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plasmonic diamond film comprising a layer of diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles on an underlying surface of diamond, wherein either the diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles comprise a metal selected from a group consisting of Ag, Au, Cu, Al, and combinations thereof; or the diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles are core-shell plasmonic nanoparticles distributed across the underlying surface of diamond, each core-shell plasmonic nanoparticle comprising a metal core and a diamond shell thereover. 
     
     
         2 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 1 , wherein the diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles comprise the metal selected from a group consisting of Ag, Au, Cu, Al, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 2 , further comprising a diamond matrix composed of the underlying surface of diamond as a first layer of diamond and a second layer of diamond in contact with the first layer of diamond at an interface, wherein the layer of the plasmonic nanoparticles is positioned at the interface of the first and second layers of diamond. 
     
     
         4 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 3 , wherein the second layer of diamond has an average thickness that is the same as, or greater than, an average thickness of the first layer of diamond. 
     
     
         5 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 3 , wherein the first layer of diamond has a crystallinity that is different from that of the second layer of diamond. 
     
     
         6 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 2 , wherein the diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles have an average diameter of less than 100 nm. 
     
     
         7 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 2 , wherein the diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles have a uniform distribution of diameters and a uniform distribution across the underlying surface of diamond. 
     
     
         8 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 7 , wherein the diameters of the diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles therein are within ±30% of one another. 
     
     
         9 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 1 , wherein the diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles are the core-shell plasmonic nanoparticles. 
     
     
         10 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 9 , wherein the underlying surface of diamond between the core-shell plasmonic nanoparticles is uncoated by diamond. 
     
     
         11 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 9 , wherein the metal core is selected from a group consisting of Ag, Au, Cu, Al, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 11 , wherein cores of the core-shell plasmonic nanoparticles have an average diameter of less than 100 nm. 
     
     
         13 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 1 , wherein the diamond of the underlying surface of diamond and the diamond of the diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles is not diamond-like carbon. 
     
     
         14 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 1 , wherein the diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles have an average diameter of less than 100 nm. 
     
     
         15 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 1 , wherein the diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles have a uniform distribution of diameters and a uniform distribution across the underlying surface of diamond. 
     
     
         16 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 15 , wherein the diameters of the diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles are within ±30% of one another. 
     
     
         17 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 1 , wherein no other diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles are present above or below the layer of diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles. 
     
     
         18 . The plasmonic diamond film of  claim 1 , in the form of a multi-layer structure comprising the layer of diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles on the underlying surface of diamond and at least one additional layer of diamond-encapsulated plasmonic nanoparticles on an additional underlying surface of diamond. 
     
     
         19 . A method of using the plasmonic film of  claim 1 , the method comprising exposing the plasmonic film of  claim 1  to a reactant under conditions to photoreduce the reactant to a product. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the reactant is N 2  and the product is NH 3 .