Dr. Ashok Ajoy - "Optically Hyperpolarized Nanodiamonds: New Avenues for Signal Enhanced NMR and MRI"

Diamond particles hosting negatively charged nitrogen vacancy (NV-) centers have recently emerged as an intriguing platform to dynamically polarize nuclear spins inside and potentially outside the crystal lattice. This presentation surveys some recent work on the topic by our groups including the development and implementation of spin polarization methods insensitive to the orientation of the diamond particles, as well as proof-of-principle applications such as dual fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging of diamond particles arrays. Further, we introduce recent observations using particles of varying dimensions down to nm sizes, and show that diamond annealing at elevated temperatures has important effects on the hyperpolarization levels, enhancing them by above an order of magnitude over materials annealed through conventional means. Electron and nuclear spin resonance measurements show this response correlates with NV- and 13C relaxation and coherence times, which points to improved recovery of the diamond lattice from radiation damage.

Dr. Melissa Mather - "Quantum sensing in biological systems using Nitrogen Vacancy defects in diamond"

The Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) color center in diamond has emerged as a high performance quantum sensor with application areas including photonics, quantum information science and the life sciences. Quantum physicists have primarily led the development of NV based quantum sensing in the pursuit of quantum computing. As such, there is a paucity of studies addressing biologically important questions using NV based optical sensing. Moreover, optical sensing protocols reported to date rely on complicated experimental protocols and equipment not readily available in a life sciences laboratory. This presentation will provide an overview of current work in our laboratory demonstrating accessible strategies with application in the life sciences and medicine. In particular, exemplar studies will be presented demonstrating sensing in highly viable populations of differentiated neural stem cells functioning as a connected neural network using NV nanodiamonds and electrospun polymer nanofibers embedded with NV nanodiamonds, which recapitulates the nanoscale architecture and topography of the cell niche. Protocols for real time sensing of paramagnetic species in solution will be reported, which have future application in sensing of biologically endogenous paramagnetic species in live cells. It is anticipated that this presentation will encourage applied scientists to harness the tremendous potential NV optical sensing has to sense currently undetectable signals and to improve existing methods of sensing using an optical measurement platform with far-reaching consequences in the life sciences and beyond.

Dr. Vadym Mochalin - "Progress in Nanodiamonds for Novel Composites and Biomedical Applications"

Nanodiamond powders produced by detonation synthesis offer great potential in many applications (1), including novel nanocomposites (2) and biomedical applications (3). In the area of nanocomposites, much of work has been focused on polymer matrix composites, while significantly less has been done with other matrices, such as ceramics and metals (4). At the same time, nanodiamonds have great potential in reinforcing as well as improving optical properties and wear behavior of metal- and ceramic-matrix composites. We will review our progress in developing well-dispersed nanodiamonds (5) for composite applications with an emphasis on novel and less studied nanodiamond-ceramic and nanodiamond-metal composites. Manufacturing and processing techniques, as well as properties of the composites, will be discussed. Another hot area of applications for nanodiamond is biomedical imaging and drug delivery. We will discuss our recent progress in drug delivery with nanodiamonds, emphasizing the effects of nanodiamond surface chemistry, and present novel processing techniques to produce luminescent nanodiamond particles from HPHT luminescent diamond for bioimaging, labeling, and other applications.

1. Mochalin, V. N.; Shenderova, O.; Ho, D.; Gogotsi, Y., The properties and applications of nanodiamonds. Nature Nanotechnology 2012, 7 (1), 11-23.

2. Mochalin, V. N.; Gogotsi, Y., Nanodiamondpolymer composites. Diam. Relat. Mat. 2015, 58, 161-171.

3. Turcheniuk, K.; Vadym, N. M., Biomedical applications of nanodiamond (Review). Nanotechnology 2017, 28 (25), 252001.

4. Turcheniuk, K.; Mochalin, V. N., Adsorption behavior and reduction of copper (II) acetate on the surface of detonation nanodiamond with well-defined surface chemistry. Carbon 2016, 109, 98-105.

5. Turcheniuk, K.; Trecazzi, C.; Deeleepojananan, C.; Mochalin, V. N., Salt-Assisted Ultrasonic Deaggregation of Nanodiamond. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2016, 8 (38), 25461-25468.

Dr. Diana Berman - "Tribological and Bactericidal Effect of Nanodiamonds as Potential Lubricants for Artificial Joints"

The artificial joints in forms of knee and hip implants are widely used for the treatment of degenerative joint diseases and trauma. Current clinically-used implants, traditionally made from polymer-on-metal structures, often suffer from high friction and wear, leading to associated inflammation and infection resulting in ultimate failure of the artificial joints. Here, we propose an alternative solution to this tribologically-induced failure of the joint materials. We demonstrate that friction and wear behavior of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and titanium tribopair, used to mimic the artificial joint interface, can be improved by introducing nanodiamond (ND) particles in the sliding contact. Analysis of the wear track formed during sliding indicates the formation of a carbon-rich tribolayer of embedded NDs which improves tribological properties of the contacting surfaces and significantly suppressed the wear of the UHMWPE surface. In addition to the improved lubrication characteristics, NDs exhibit high biocompatibility with the bone cells and promising antibacterial properties against S. aureus, the most common strain associated with artificial joint infection. These results indicate that NDs can be used as a promising nontoxic human-body lubricant with anti-wear and antibacterial features, thus demonstrating their great potential to treat artificial joint complications through intra-articular injection.

Dr. Romana Schirhagl - "Diamond Magnetometry for Measuring Free Radicals in Living Cells"

Free radicals play a key role in multiple processes in healthy cells including signalling, food degradation or immune responses. But they are are an indication of something being wrong in a cell and thus are important for numerous diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, viral or bacterial infection or ageing. However, despite their relevance free radicals are challenging to measure with the state of the art. My group is using fluorescent nanodiamonds including NV centers for this purpose. We make use of the quantum sensing ability to detect the spin noise from radicals. With this technology we can obtain a magnetic resonance signal in real time and learn more about the ageing process, differentiate genetic mutants or understand better how the cell responds to a viral infection. Here I will show our first results on this topic.

Dr. Alex Shames - "Paramagnetic Defects and Color Centers In Particulate Ib Type HPHT Diamonds"

Alexander I. Shames Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, 8410501 Beer-Sheva, Israel Irradiation of synthetic and natural diamonds with high energy particles produces optically active crystallographic defects that are useful for a variety of applications. Within the N-related family of optical defects, the nitrogen-vacancy defect (NV-) has been received great consideration due to numerous applications in both emerging and mature technologies: background-free and long-term cell imaging in the red/near infrared spectral region, tracing of cell progeny, flow cytometry, super-resolution imaging, correlative and multimodal microscopy, labeling of low-abundance cellular components. Significant part of defects in diamonds, including NV- centers and their precursors carry unpaired spins and, thus, are paramagnetic. It turns Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy into powerful practical tool for successive development and optimization of micro- and nano-diamonds having useful properties specifically pre-engineered for biomedical applications. Conventional CW X-band EPR spectra recorded within so called “half-field†(around g=4.00) region allow both classification and reliable quantification of paramagnetic defects having electronic spin S³1 for bulk single- and poly-crystalline diamond samples. Thus, EPR studies of initial nitrogen content, fluence, annealing and nanonization (size) dependences allow optimization of the technological processes for the manufacturing of bright micro- and nano-sized fluorescent diamonds. EPR also provides information of electronic spin-lattice (T1e) and spin-spin (T2e) relaxation times of all magnetic species in the hosting diamond lattice. These parameters are found to be indicative to quality of triplet centers as hyperpolarization agents.

Dr. Sabine Szunerits - "Antiviral and Antibacterial Inhibitors: From Nanodiamonds to Carbon Quantum Dots (CQDs)"

The constant emergence of new viruses, as currently evidenced with the newly emerged Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) associated with severe respiratory distress, has considerable impact to the society, the economy and public health. The general absence of specific antiviral therapeutics has made the search for antiviral drugs and therapeutics a challenging research task. Viruses pose a considerable challenge to the body’s immune system as they hide inside cells making it difficult for antibodies to reach them. In contrast to bacterial infections, which are mostly treated using antibiotics, the immunization against viral infections is not always possible. Multivalent binding interactions have lately been considered for the development of new therapeutic strategies against bacterial and viral infections. Multivalent polymers, dendrimers and liposomes have successfully targeted pathogenic interactions. While a high synthetic effort is often needed for the development of such therapeutics, the integration of multiple ligands onto nanostructures turned to be a viable alternative. Particles modified with multiple ligands have the additional advantage of creating a high local concentration of binding molecules. In this talk I will give several examples on the interest of carbon-based nanostructures, notable nanodiamonds and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) for the treatment of viral and bacterial infections. Different glycan-modified nanodiamonds revealed themselves to be of great promise as useful nanostructures for combating microbial infections. The antiviral activity of dcarbon quantum dots (CQDs) for the treatment of human coronavirus HCoV-229E infections will be discussed further.

References:

1. A. Åoczechin, K. Saron, A. Barras, S. Belouzard, Y.-T. Chen, N. Metzler-Nolte, R. Boukherroub, J. Dubuisson, S. Szunerits, ACS Applied Materials and Interfacs 2019, 11, 46, 42964-42974. Functional Carbon quantum dot as medical countermeasures to humancorona virus (HCoV)

2. R. Jijie, A. Barras, J. Bouckaert, N. Dumitrascu, S. Szunerits, R. Boukherroub. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 2018, 170, 347-354. Enhanced antibacterial activity of carbon dots functionalized with ampicillin combined with visible light triggered photodynamic effects.

3. K. Nekoueian, M. Amiri, M. Sillanpe, F. Marken, Boukherroub, S. Szunerits. Chemical Society Reviews 2019, 48, 4281-4316. Carbon-based quantum particles: an electroanalytical and biomedical perspective

4. R. Jijie, A. Barras, F. Teodorescu, R. Boukherroub, S. Szunerits, Molecular Systems Design & Engineering, 2017, DOI: 10.1039/C7ME00048K, Advancements on the molecular design of nanoantibiotics: current level of development and future challenges.

5. A. Barras, F. A. Martin, O. Bande, J.-S. Baumann, J.-M. Ghigo, R. Boukherroub, C. Beloin, A. Siriwardena, S. Szunerits, Nanoscale 2013, 5, 2307-2316, Glycan-functionalized diamond nanoparticles as potent E. coli antiadhesives.

6. M. Khanal, F. Larsonneur, V. Raks, A. Barras, R. Boukherroub, J.-M. Ghigo, C. Ortiz Mellet, V. Zaitsev, J. M. Garcia Fernandez, C. Beloin, A. Siriwardena, S. Szunerits, Nanoscale 2015, 7, 2325-2335, Inhibition of Escherichia coli adhesion to biotic surfaces and of biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces by trimeric cluster mannosides conjugated to iamond nanoparticles.

7. M. Khanal, T. Vausellin, A. Barras, O. Bande; K. Turcheniuk, M. Benazza, Zaitsev, C. M. Teodurescu, R. Boukherroub, A. Siriwardena, J. Dubuisson, S. Szunerits, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2013, 5, 12488-12498, Phenyl-acid-modified nanoparticles: potential antiviral therapeutics.

8. Barras, Q. Pagneux, F. Sané, R. Boukherroub, D. Hober, S. Szunerits, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2016, 13, 9004-9013, Inhibition of Herpes simplex virus type 1 entry by functional carbon nanodot

Dr. Marco Torelli - "Targeted Nanodiamond In Biological Systems"

Data related to sensing and targeting applications of diamond nanoparticles will be discussed. Fluorescent nanodiamond was targeted to 4T1 mammary tumors in mice by conjugation with VEGF for targeting to VEGF receptors. Recently it was realized that thermal annealing techniques developed at Adamas in collaboration with CUNY (Prof. Zaitsev) produced the capacity for multicolor fluorescence. Applications for the labeling of blood clots were shown. This method of thermal annealing imparted improved sensitivity of diamond particles to external magnetic fields. These developments will be discussed in the context of biological applications, such as background subtraction.

Relevant Works:

Torelli, M. D.; Rickard, A. G.; Backer, M. V.; Filonov, D. S.; Nunn, N. A.; Kinev, A. V.; Backer, J. M.; Palmer, G. M.; Shenderova, O. A., Targeting fluorescent nanodiamonds to vascular endothelial growth factor receptors in tumor. Bioconjugate Chem. 2019, 30 (3), 604-613.

Torelli, M. D.; Nunn, N. A.; Shenderova, O. A., A Perspective on Fluorescent Nanodiamond Bioimaging. Small 2019, 0 (0), 1902151.

Torelli, M. D.; Nunn, N. A.; Jones, Z. R.; Hamers, R. J.; Vedelaar, T.; Padamati, S. K.; Schirhagl, R.; Shames, A. I.; Danilov, E. O.; Zaitsev, A.; Shenderova, O. A., High Temperature Treatment of Diamond Particles Toward Enhancement of Their Quantum Properties. Frontiers Research 2020. DOI: 10.3389/fphy.2020.00205

Dr. Jean-Charles Arnault - "Detonation nanodiamonds and overproduction of hydroxyl radicals and solvated electrons under ionizing radiation"

Aqueous suspensions of detonation nanodiamonds behaving different surface chemistries (hydrogenated, oxidized) were irradiated by keV or MeV photons. Hydroxyl radicals were quantified using a very sensitive, nanoparticle-compatible, coumarin-based protocol. Only plasma hydrogenated nanodiamonds led to 50% more radicals, for irradiation doses and ND concentrations relevant in nanomedicine. For the first time, solvated electrons were quantified after keV irradiation of both suspensions. In the presence of plasma hydrogenated nanodiamonds, hydroxyl radicals and solvated electrons were available in solution in equivalent and higher amounts than in water only. Among involved mechanisms, interfacial water could play an essential role in radicals’ production in solution when detonation H-ND are irradiated, as for other nanomaterials.

Dr. Anke Kruger - "Functionalization of Nanodiamond for Biomedical Applications"

Nanodiamond is a material very much suited for biomedical applications due to its benign behaviour, inertness, and biocompatibility. Also the ability to attach a variety of functional moieties such as proteins, labels, sensors, drugs etc. in a very stable and controlled fashion make it the basis for applications such as targeted drug delivery, sensing, tissue engineering etc. This lecture will present recent developments in the field of surface functionalization of nanodiamond for biomedical applications.

Dr. Igor Vlasov - "Is it possible to produce optically indistinguishable SiV centers in nanodiamonds?"

Diamond nanoparticles with optically active color centers can be used in nanoscale devices for quantum networking and sensing. A particular interest is focused on nanodiamonds (ND) containing negatively charged silicon-vacancy (SiV) centers. Here, I will present our recent studies on fluorescence properties of ensemble and single SiV centers in CVD and HPHT diamond particles, using off-resonant and resonant excitations, at room and cryogenic temperatures. The width of single SiV emission lines in HPHT nanodiamonds, synthesized from adamantane, turns out to be narrower than in CVD diamond grown epitaxially on a <100> -oriented substrate. Nevertheless, the inhomogeneous line broadening determined for SiV ensembles in the nanodiamonds is significantly inferior to the similar parameter found for <100> -oriented CVD diamond. The ability to produce nanodiamonds containing optically indistinguishable SiV ensembles is discussed.

Nicholas Nunn - "Controlled Production of a Vibrant Color Spectrum of Fluorescent Diamond Particles"

We will report on a breakthrough method of production of multicolor diamond particulates using a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) approach with precise temperature and time control, enabling annealing of diamond particulates up to 2100 °C without extensive graphitization. The RTA method generates conditions which allow formation of one-, two- and three-atom nitrogen complexes with vacancies in electron irradiated type Ib synthetic diamond, providing vibrant luminescence in the red, green and blue spectral ranges, correspondingly. We will demonstrate opportunities for particulate diamond in a plethora of fluorescence imaging applications in biological and industrial fields based on controlled and highly reproducible formation of specific color centers previously not possible in type Ib synthetic diamond particles in micron- and nanometer size ranges.