Abstract: One provides (101) disperse ultra-nanocrystalline diamond powder material that comprises a plurality of substantially ordered crystallites that are each sized no larger than about 10 nanometers. One then reacts (102) these crystallites with a metallic component. The resultant nanowire is then able to exhibit a desired increase with respect to its ability to conduct electricity while also substantially preserving the thermal conductivity behavior of the disperse ultra-nanocrystalline diamond powder material. The reaction process can comprise combining (201) the crystallites with one or more metal salts in an aqueous solution and then heating (203) that aqueous solution to remove the water. This heating can occur in a reducing atmosphere (comprising, for example, hydrogen and/or methane) to also reduce the salt to metal.

Abstract: One provides nanocrystalline diamond material that comprises a plurality of substantially ordered diamond crystallites that are sized no larger than about 10 nanometers. One then disposes a non-diamond component within the nanocrystalline diamond material. By one approach this non-diamond component comprises an electrical conductor that is formed at the grain boundaries that separate the diamond crystallites from one another. The resultant nanowire is then able to exhibit a desired increase with respect to its ability to conduct electricity while also preserving the thermal conductivity behavior of the nanocrystalline diamond material.

Abstract: A material of carbon nanotubes and diamond bonded together. A method of producing carbon nanotubes and diamond covalently bonded together is disclosed with a substrate on which is deposited nanoparticles of a suitable catalyst on a surface of the substrate. A diamond seeding material is deposited on the surface of the substrate, and then the substrate is exposed to a hydrogen poor plasma for a time sufficient to grow carbon nanotubes and diamond covalently bonded together.

Abstract: An electrode having a surface of an electrically conducting ultrananocrystalline diamond having not less than 1019 atoms/cm3 nitrogen with an electrical conductivity at ambient temperature of not less than about 0.1 (?·cm)?1 is disclosed as is a method of remediating toxic materials with the electrode. An electron emission device incorporating an electrically conducting ultrananocrystalline diamond having not less that 1019 atoms/cm3 nitrogen with an electrical conductivity at ambient temperature of not less than about 0.1 (?·cm)?1 is disclosed.

Abstract: A method of depositing nanocrystalline diamond film on a substrate at a rate of not less than about 0.2 microns/hour at a substrate temperature less than about 500° C. The method includes seeding the substrate surface with nanocrystalline diamond powder to an areal density of not less than about 1010sites/cm2, and contacting the seeded substrate surface with a gas of about 99% by volume of an inert gas other than helium and about 1% by volume of methane or hydrogen and one or more of acetylene, fullerene and anthracene in the presence of a microwave induced plasma while maintaining the substrate temperature less than about 500° C. to deposit nanocrystalline diamond on the seeded substrate surface at a rate not less than about 0.2 microns/hour. Coatings of nanocrystalline diamond with average particle diameters of less than about 20 nanometers can be deposited with thermal budgets of 500° C.-4 hours or less onto a variety of substrates such as MEMS devices.