Facile synthesis of pure boron nanotubes and nanofibers

Jinwen Liu, Zafar Iqbal

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

A facile and scalable chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process in flowing argon using a solid instead of a reactive gaseous boron precursor has been carried out to synthesize crystalline boron nanostructures comprising of relatively straight boron nanotubes (BNTs) and nanofibers (BNFs). The synthesis involves the use of solid magnesium boride as the boron and magnesium catalyst precursor, nickel boride as co-catalyst, and MCM-41 zeolite as the growth template. The BNTs and BNFs produced have a narrow distribution of diameters between about 10 nm to 20 nm and lengths from about 500 nm to above 1 μm. Scanning and transmission electron microscope (SEM and TEM) imaging together with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) have been conducted to characterize the structure, morphology and growth mechanism of these novel nanostructures. High resolution TEM imaging has been used to identify BNTs and BNFs in the nanostructures synthesized.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationBoron and Boron Compounds - From Fundamentals to Applications
Pages42-47
Number of pages6
DOIs
StatePublished - 2011
Event2010 MRS Fall Meeting - Boston, MA, United States
Duration: Nov 29 2010Dec 3 2010

Publication series

NameMaterials Research Society Symposium Proceedings
Volume1307
ISSN (Print)0272-9172

Other

Other2010 MRS Fall Meeting
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityBoston, MA
Period11/29/1012/3/10

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Materials Science
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Mechanical Engineering

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