Chemical modification of diamond surface using a diacyl peroxide as radical initiator and CN group-containing compounds for the introduction of the CN group

The introduction of the CN group onto a diamond surface was attempted using diacyl peroxides with CN group-containing compounds. When acetonitrile was used as solvent for the radical reaction process, the CN group was introduced onto the diamond surface, however when benzonitrile was used no CN group was introduced. The mechanism for introduction of the CN group onto the diamond surface is proposed to be as follows: Acetonitrile includes an alkyl group in its structure. The radical species derived from the diacyl peroxide appears to abstract the hydrogen atom from the alkyl group, with the radical species generated from acetonitrile then reacting with the diamond surface activated by the radical species derived from the diacyl peroxide. However, for benzonitrile, no hydrogen abstraction reaction can proceed as it has no alkyl group.