Transformation of diamond to fullerene-type onions at pressure 70 GPa and temperature 2400 K.

We report the observation of a phase transition of diamond to denser than diamond carbon phase composed from 2 to 3 fullerene-type shells of onions. Raman spectra indicate the fullerene-type of the onions shells. The onions phase is a stable phase in a diamond instability zone of a phase diagram of carbon at pressure 70 GPa and temperature 2400 K. A mixture of diamond and Ni powders was heated by a laser beam under pressure in a diamond anvil cell. Both direct and catalytic diamond to onions transitions were observed during heating. The catalytic transformation includes the following steps. Melting of Ni during the laser heating at pressure 70 GPa, a 'diamond solution' (a transfer of carbon atoms from diamond) in liquid Ni and the formation of an equilibrium carbon phase from the supersaturated solution upon cooling. The catalytic process is a reverse one relative to the catalytic synthesis of diamond in a diamond stability zone at pressure around 6 GPa. The main result of our study is the presence of fullerene-type structures in the phase diagram of carbon in the region of diamond instability under high sub-Mbar pressure and wide range of temperatures.

Surface-Enhanced IR-Absorption Microscopy of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteria on Bactericidal Nanostructured Si Surfaces.

Surface-enhanced IR absorption (SEIRA) microscopy was used to reveal main chemical and physical interactions between Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and different laser-nanostructured bactericidal Si surfaces via simultaneous chemical enhancement of the corresponding IR-absorption in the intact functional chemical groups. A cleaner, less passivated surface of Si nanoripples, laser-patterned in water, exhibits much stronger enhancement of SEIRA signals compared to the bare Si wafer, the surface coating of oxidized Si nanoparticles and oxidized/carbonized Si (nano) ripples, laser-patterned in air and water. Additional very strong bands emerge in the SEIRA spectra on the clean Si nanoripples, indicating the potential chemical modifications in the bacterial membrane and nucleic acids during the bactericidal effect.

Phase diagram of carbon and the factors limiting the quantity and size of natural diamonds.

Phase diagrams of carbon, and those focusing on the graphite-to-diamond transitional conditions in particular, are of great interest for fundamental and applied research. The present study introduces a number of experiments carried out to convert graphite under high-pressure conditions, showing a formation of stable phase of fullerene-type onions cross-linked by sp3-bonds in the 55-115 GPa pressure range instead of diamonds formation (even at temperature 2000-3000 K) and the already formed diamonds turn into carbon onions. Our results refute the widespread idea that diamonds can form at any pressure from 2.2 to 1000 GPa. The phase diagram built within this study allows us not only to explain the existing numerous experimental data on the formation of diamond from graphite, but also to make assumptions about the conditions of its growth in Earth's crust.