Scientists Turn Ordinary Plastic Into Billions of Tiny Diamonds Using Powerful Lasers

Published on October 19, 2026, researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the University of Rostock successfully transformed ordinary PET plastic films into billions of tiny nanodiamonds using high-power lasers. The experiment, conducted at the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) facility south of Prague, simulated the extreme pressures and temperatures found inside planets like Neptune and Uranus. The research team demonstrated that these nanodiamonds, averaging three nanometers across and containing roughly 3,000 carbon atoms each, survive the return from extreme conditions when captured using a water-soluble ionic gel. This soft collection medium successfully cushions the particles as they are accelerated to speeds exceeding ten kilometers per second by vacuum shock waves. The laser technique yields exceptional purity, uniformity, and ultra-small sizing that conventional explosion methods cannot achieve. By starting with plastic films, the process also facilitates doping, allowing scientists to incorporate foreign atoms into the carbon structure for tailored applications. Practical applications of these recovered nanodiamonds include advanced medical imaging contrast agents, quantum sensors, and highly efficient catalysts for chemical reactions like sunlight-driven CO2 splitting. Future work aims to scale production into the milligram range and synthesize denser carbon forms like BC8 using higher laser pressures.