Detonation nanodiamonds fabricated from tetryl: Synthesis, NMR, EPR and XRD study

Fabrication of bulk quantities of detonation nanodiamonds from a new low-cost explosive, tetryl, necessitates the study of the properties and quality of new materials in comparison with those obtained from TNT-RDX mixtures. Here we report on preparation of detonation nanodiamonds from tetryl and their characterization by XRD, NMR and EPR techniques. XRD patterns, EPR spectra and ¹³C MAS NMR spectra and relaxation rates in tetryl-fabricated samples were measured and compared with those in “conventional” nanodiamonds prepared from the mixture of TNT and RDX explosives. Our data result in conclusion that the size and structure of new nanoparticles are similar to those obtained in the TNT-RDX fabricated nanodiamonds. Magic angle spinning (MAS) of the samples does not affect spin-lattice relaxation but results in the narrowing of the ¹³C spectrum and elongation of spin-spin relaxation time with increased MAS rate. These data also correlate with those of the “conventional” nanodiamonds. Our study shows that tetryl is a promising material for the nanodiamond production.