Engineering Bulk and Surface of Diamond Nano-Objects for Biomedicine

This interdisciplinary project focuses on tailoring the bulk and surface properties of diamond nano-objects (DNOs) for fundamental material and biological research. DNOs are diamond nanoparticles, nano-domains and nano-fiber composites. Foreign atoms will be implemented into diamond to create optical centres in DNOs. The surface of these modified DNOs will be functionalized with single atoms, chemical groups and oligopeptidic ligands. The impact of surface termination (the electrostatic state of the surface) on the photoluminescence properties of optical centers in DNOs will be characterized by advanced analytic techniques. The physicochemical behavior of modified and functionalized DNOs in a biologically relevant environment will be evaluated and visualized through the interaction of DNOs with bone-derived cell lines, primary osteoblasts and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. The newly developed DNOs offer a promising solution for future applications in photonics, electronics and particularly in controlled drug and gene delivery, bioimaging and bone tissue engineering.