Organic framework pathway to diamond synthesis through a theoretical design approach



Conventional synthetic diamond production is dominated by high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods, both of which require diamond seeds or nucleation centers to initiate growth. While these strategies are mature and scalable, their reliance on seed crystals limits innovation in designing new nucleation pathways. In this theoretical work, we propose a seed-independent synthetic route that uses organic chemistry to pre-assemble diamondoid-like sp³ frameworks capable of nucleating diamond growth. The designed pathway begins with the condensation of tetrachloromethane (CCl₄)  and cyclobutane  under elevated temperature and pressure, eliminating HCl and generating a  pentacyclic pyramido-pentane intermediate (C₅H₄) . Through successive ring fusions and rearrangements, the framework evolves toward a decacyclic octahedral “hexane” (C₆) cage , whose local bonding geometry closely resembles the octahedral coordination of diamond’s cubic lattice. Such molecular architectures are reminiscent of diamondoids and can act as pre-organized, atomically precise nuclei.

 https://doi.org/10.22271/chemi.2025.v13.i5c.12606