报告摘要：
Diamondoids are hydrogen terminated diamonds in the size range of 0.5 to 2 nanometers. They are basically the same size as buckeyballs and the diameters of nanotube pores. Unlike nanotubes and buckeyballs which are an sp2 form of carbon, diamondoids are an sp3 allotrope and thus have quite different properties.  Diamondoids come in many shapes and sizes. The higher diamondoids, which were first reported in 2003 by Dahl et al., are composed of tetramantanes, pentamantanes, hexamantanes… up to the largest diamondoids known, undecamantane (11 cages).  The higher diamondoids have many different structural forms, e.g., there are 3 tetramantanes, 9 pentamantanes, 39 hexamantanes, and so on.

Diamondoids can be readily and specifically derivatized by replacement of surface hydrogen with various functional groups.  Examples include the addition of sulfur to create thiols which can be used to make self-assembled diamondoid monolayers on gold and silver. These monolayers show unique electron emission properties that may find applications as flat-panel displays.  The addition of -OH or -OOH groups creates diamondoid alcohols or acids that are partially water soluble, allowing the formation of Langmuir-Blodgett films.  Furthermore, diamondoid monomers are readily synthesized and can be used as pendant or backbone groups in polymers for photoresist, liquid crystals and photochromic materials.  Derivatized diamondoids have also been used in the pharmaceutical industry as anti-viral agents and for treating symptoms of central nervous system illnesses such as Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's. 

This presentation will:
1) give a description of higher diamondoids,
2) discuss diamondoid derivates
3) discuss some physical properties of diamondoids and their derivatives
4) discuss possible applications