Diamondoids - A novel form of nanocarbon

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From a cluster physics point of view diamondoids are perfect diamond – or more generally speaking group IV semiconductor – clusters. They are ideal systems for the investigation of fundamental aspects about atomic structures on sub-nanometer and nanometer length scales. They are completely sp3-hybridized, fully surface terminated, and they can be size and even structure selected. Due to their thermodynamic stability they can be brought into the gas phase allowing unique investigations on neutral, interaction-free, size- and structure selected single clusters with bulk lattice structure. While such systems are the basis for virtually all theoretical investigations they could never be investigated experimentally because they have previously not been available. more about...