Detonation nanodiamonds were discovered in the early 60’s in URSS. This synthesis technique allows the generation of high pressures and high temperatures in a short duration. The resulting nanodiamond particles have a mean diameter of 5nm and a developed surface chemistry. The surface composition has been determined and the oxygenated sites were quantified by the use of various methods. These sites have been used to graft (by the use of covalent or metal-ligand bonds) different organic molecules (porphyrins, phthalocyanins, …). Different techniques enabled the determination of the chemical grafting yield. The resulting materials have been used as non-linear filters against laser threat.The nanodiamond colloidal properties have also been studied, to separate the aggregates from the unitary particles and well control their deposition. A method has been described in this manuscript, enabling the uniform deposition of unitary nanodiamond particles forming an extremely dense monolayer. These deposits have been used for sensors applications.
