Diamond nanorods are one-dimensional carbon nanostructures consisting of all sp(3) bonded carbon atoms. They represent an alternative class of carbon structure to fullerene nanotubes for potential applications in nanocomposites for mechanical reinforcement and thermal management, as well as in microelectronics. Synthetic routes for creating diamond nanorods (and related structures) and recent predictions of their stability, mechanical, and thermal properties are summarized in the article. (c) 2005 American Vacuum Society.