Synthesis of Hexagonal Nanodiamonds Catalyzed by Germanium Atoms in a Germanium‒Argon Electric Arc Plasma

The possibility of synthesizing nanodiamonds in an electric arc discharge between graphite electrodes has been studied. The effect of germanium atoms on the nucleation and formation of nanodiamonds has been analyzed. It has been established that nanodiamonds are nucleated and formed in an argon electric arc discharge between graphite electrodes with a small germanium‒graphite additive. It has been shown that germanium atoms play the role of a diamond structure nucleus and serve as catalysts for the formation and growth of crystals.