Electron microscopy study of BNNTs synthesized by high temperature–pressure method and purified by high-temperature steam

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) possess extraordinary properties on the molecular level; hence, it is of particular interest to use them for the assembly of macroscopic materials. However, difficulties in BNNT synthesis and purification hinder their processing into such objects. Only recently, a lar...

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Veröffentlicht in:Journal of materials research 2022-12, Vol.37 (24), p.4508-4521
Hauptverfasser: Matatyaho Ya’akobi, Asia, Ginestra, Cedric J. S., Scammell, Lyndsey R., Smith, Michael W., Pasquali, Matteo, Talmon, Yeshayahu
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) possess extraordinary properties on the molecular level; hence, it is of particular interest to use them for the assembly of macroscopic materials. However, difficulties in BNNT synthesis and purification hinder their processing into such objects. Only recently, a large-scale production of high-quality BNNTs has been explored. Here, we study by advanced electron microscopy techniques BNNTs synthesized by the high temperature–pressure (HTP) method and compare BNNTs after different purification processes. We document many different defects and demonstrate that these do not prevent nematic alignment of BNNTs at high concentrations. In fact, we show that small-ordered domains form at lower concentrations for BNNTs of higher purity. Cryogenic electron microscopy provides direct-imaging evidence of the BNNT liquid crystalline phase, indicating the potential for the fabrication of highly ordered BNNT-based macroscopic assemblies by liquid-phase processing. Graphical abstract
ISSN:0884-2914
2044-5326
DOI:10.1557/s43578-022-00697-w