Aging of Hydrogenated and Oxidized Diamond

Single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments demonstrate that hydrogenation and oxidation of polycrystalline diamond effectively control molecular adhesion (see figure). Aging changes these properties and originates from the rapid formation of a thin and resistant contamination layer, as well as degradation of the artificial surface termination on longer time scales. This aging also affects the wettability, morphology, and the electrical properties of the surfaces. Detailed facts of importance to specialist readers are published as ”Supporting Information”. Such documents are peer-reviewed, but not copy-edited or typeset. They are made available as submitted by the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.