New diamond mechanosynthesis idea?




I came across this paper:
http://lanl.arxiv.org/PS_cache/cond-mat/pdf/0010/0010096.pdf
It is written in the context of CVD I think. It
models a carbon dimer collision with a diamond (110)
surface. But the surface is carbon terminated instead
of the hydrogen terminated surface usually assumed for
diamond. I had assumed this would merely lead to more
sp2 bonds (graphite not diamond) being created but the
paper seems to suggest more diamond can in fact be a
product here. I don't know if this would be versatile
enough for scale-up but wouldn't this be simple(r) MNT
mechanosynthetic step to achieve?

Mechanosynthesis as I understand it needs to abstract
hydrogen from a diamond surface and then terminate the
dangling bond with a carbon dimer. To me that
requires an STM to take away the hydrogen atom from
the surface and then an AFM-like instrument to deposit
the dimer. But on a carbon reconstructed diamond
surface, only the dimer needs to be deposited, no?

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