Porous Natural Diamond with Embedded Metal (Pt_0.50-Co_0.50)

Natural diamond crystals with a highly porous surface were used as substrates for synthesizing single-phase bimetallic Pt-Co nanoparticles at temperatures of 500 C-degrees and 800 C-degrees. The metal nanoparticles inside the pores were determined to take the form of single-phase Pt-0.50-Co-0.50 solid solutions with different degrees of superstructure ordering. A detailed characterization of both nanoalloys revealed a tetragonal symmetry with a space group, P4/mmm. For the sample obtained at 500 C-degrees, the lattice parameters were a = 2.673(2), c = 3.735(3) angstrom, and c/a = 1.397(1); for the samples obtained at 800 C-degrees, the parameters were-a = 2.688(2), c = 3.697(3) angstrom, and c/a = 1.375(1). Within the experimental parameters, no significant chemical interaction of the diamond with the Pt-Co particles was identified. The results demonstrate a strong anchoring effect of the metallic material within the etching pores. The successful synthesis of bimetallic Pt-Co particles embedded inside the caverns can facilitate a study of their magnetic properties. The presence of Pt-Co in specific diamond compositions can also be used for marking diamond crystals as a means for their subtle identification, as well as confirming the possibility of capturing significant amounts of metal along with diamonds during their dissolution in the deep Earth.