Energetic ions represent an important tool for the creation of controlled structural defects in solid nanomaterials. However, the current preparative irradiation techniques in accelerators show significant limitations in scaling-up, because only very thin layers of nanoparticles can be efficiently and homogeneously irradiated. Here, we show an easily scalable method for rapid irradiation of nanomaterials by light ions formed homogeneously in situ by a nuclear reaction. The target nanoparticles are embedded in B2O3 and placed in a neutron flux. Neutrons captured by 10B generate an isotropic flux of energetic α particles and 7Li+ ions that uniformly irradiates the surrounding nanoparticles. We produced 70 g of fluorescent nanodiamonds in an approximately 30-minute irradiation session, as well as fluorescent silicon carbide nanoparticles. Our method thus increased current preparative yields by a factor of 102-103. We envision that our technique will increase the production of ion-irradiated nanoparticles, facilitating their use in various applications.

ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics School of Science RMIT University Melbourne VIC 3001 Australia

Faculty of Biomedical Engineering Czech Technical University Prague nam Sitna 3105 272 01 Kladno Czech Republic

Faculty of Science Charles University Hlavova 2030 128 40 Prague 2 Prague Czech Republic

Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the CAS Heyrovskeho nam 2 162 06 Prague 6 Prague Czech Republic

Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS Flemingovo nam 2 166 10 Prague 6 Prague Czech Republic

Nuclear Physics Institute of the CAS 250 68 Husinec Rez 130 Prague Czech Republic

University of Chemistry and Technology Prague Technicka 5 166 28 Prague 6 Prague Czech Republic

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Simultaneous label-free live imaging of cell nucleus and luminescent nanodiamonds

Room-Temperature Defect Qubits in Ultrasmall Nanocrystals