NADIAMOBiomedical Applications
The biocompatibility evaluation of NDs and their drug delivery studies supports the promising potential of using NDs in living biological systems. In addition, the unique fluorescence properties and electromagnetic properties of NV centers make NDs particularly attractive for biosensing.
Due to its hardness, chemical inertness, thermal conductivity, and low cytotoxicity, ND could be applied as coating materials of implants, other surgery tools, etc. in biomedical fields.
Although diamond is highly stable, if the ND surface is free of adsorbent or absorbent, i.e. clean, it is thought that carbon atoms on the surface contain unpaired electrons that are highly reactive. As a result, ND particles can readily bond to and effectively absorb a variety of atomic species. For example, small atoms such as H, B, C, N, O, and F can be readily adsorbed on the ND surface, although other atoms can also be absorbed. In addition, those small atoms are building blocks, e.g. H, CO, OH, COOH, N, CN and NO, of organic materials including biological molecules. Consequently, ND particles can readily attach to amino acids, proteins, cells, DNA, RNA, and other biological materials.
Further, NDs are typically smaller than most viruses (10- 100 nm) and bacteria (10-100æm). Therefore, ND can be used to penetrate the outer layers of viruses and bacteria and then attach to RNA, DNA or other groups within the organism to prevent the virus or bacteria from functioning.
ND as carbon is non-poisonous. Moreover, it is not only cancer inactive, but also a catalyst for promoting drug effectiveness. For example, ND has been used to treat burning skin infections, food poisons, and intestine malfunctions with good results. In comparison to tiny ND particles, the human cells appear to be colossal. Much larger than microbes, ND cannot harm normal cells. ND cannot penetrate the cell’s membrane. On the contrary, ND can stick to the DNA of bacteria or RNA of viruses. It is believable that ND may also be effective in attaching genes and hence it is capable to kill drug resistant viruses.
