Cover story: The cover illustrates how processing history shapes the material state of nanodiamonds and ultimately determines their functional performance. Different formation and post-processing routes establish distinct combinations of diamond-core structure, defect populations, surface chemistry, and aggregation state. The central nanodiamond highlights the interplay among these characteristics, while the surrounding illustrations represent four major application areas: quantum sensing, bioimaging and diagnostics, thermal management, and electrochemistry. This review emphasizes a processing–material state–function framework for understanding, optimizing, and achieving reliable nanodiamond performance across diverse applications.

Zhang, W.; Gong, M.; Chen, Q. Processing-Defined Nanodiamonds: Material-State Control for Reliable Function. Low-Dimensional Materials 2026, 2 (3), 11. https://doi.org/10.53941/ldm.2026.100011.