Magnesium diboride (MgB2): An effective and novel precursor for the synthesis of vertically aligned BNNTs

Vertically aligned Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) have exceptional electrical, mechanical and thermal properties suitable for its potential applications without any further purification. However, the synthesis of aligned BNNTs via previously reported techniques is not only complicated, lengthy and misleading but also result in useless impurities in the final product. Here, we report Magnesium diboride (MgB2) as an effective and novel precursor for the synthesis of vertically aligned BNNTs directly on SiO2 substrate at 1000 °C. Magnesium (Mg) from MgB2 in partially melted form diffuses on SiO2 substrate whereas the adsorbed Boron with Mg reacts with Nitrogen from decomposed ammonia and synthesized vertically aligned BNNTs. The morphology, alignment, structure and compositions of the as-synthesized BNNTs are studied via field emission scanning electron microscope, high resolution transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Decomposition-adsorption-deposition: An effective and novel technique for synthesis of hexagonal boron nitride microsheets

Magnesium diboride as a precursor with dual role of Nitrogen introduces a simple “decomposition-adsorption-deposition (DAD)” technique for the synthesis of Hexagonal Boron nitride microsheets (BNMSs) on silicon (Si) substrate at 1100 °C. The synthesized BNMSs has the apparent morphology like the white dispersed feathers on a plate surface with diameter in the range of 3–15 µm and lengt greater than 30 µm. All the BNMSs has the characteristics of h-BN lattice with an interlayer spacing of 0.34 nm. Boron and Nitrogen elemental compositions and h-BN phase of the synthesized BNMSs are verified from its characterization by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Raman