A perspective on diamond composites and their electrochemical applications

Diamond composites have gained increasing interests because of their outstanding properties (e.g. robust mechanical properties, high conductivity and activity, good chemical and thermal stability, as well as excellent electrochemical properties) and their promising applications in a wide range of different fields.

Diamond is extremely attractive for different applications, owing to its unique physical, chemical, and electronic properties . Taking boron-doped diamond (BDD) as an example, it features fascinating properties such as a wide electrochemical potential window, a low background current, long-term stability, and environmental benignity, leading to its various electrochemical applications [1∗, 2∗∗, 3]. Recently, more attention has been paid to diamond composites (DCs) rather than individual diamond films (e.g. BDD) in that DCs combine the features of both individual diamond films and the composite counterparts. For example, DCs are expected to be mechanically robust, highly conductive, chemically and thermally stable, and electrochemically active . These unique properties of DCs have led to their unambiguous implications for energy storage, sensing, and catalytic applications . In this regard, the design and synthesis of DCs with controllable structures and tunable properties are of both fundamental and technological significance.

The DCs introduce different functional groups and thereby impart special properties to individual diamond films, including hydrophilicity, conductivity, chemical activity, photoreactivity, and flexibility [52]. Originating from these features, different DCs have been designed, synthesized, and used, especially as electrodes in numerous studies.

The synthesis and applications of different DCs have attracted tremendous attention because of their fascinating comprehensive properties, namely the combined features of both diamond films and composite counterparts. These properties make the DCs highly promising in different applications, especially their electrochemical applications.

CSMH uses the MPCVD method to prepare large-sized and high-quality diamonds,and currently has mature products such as diamond heat sinks, diamond wafers, diamond windows,diamond hetero junction integrated composite substrates,etc.Among them,the thermal conductivity of diamond heat sinks is 1000-2200w/（m.k）, and the surface roughness of diamond wafer a<1nm.It has been applied in aerospace, high-power semiconductor lasers, optical communication, chip heat dissipation, nuclear fusion and other fields.