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Catalyst‐Free Synthesis and Characterization of Metastable Boron Carbide Nanowires |
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| Authors: | Aruna Velamakanni K J Ganesh Yanwu Zhu Paulo J Ferreira Rodney S Ruoff |
| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Texas Materials Institute University of Texas at Austin 1 University Station, C 2200, Austin, Texas, 78712 (USA);2. Materials Science and Engineering Program University of Texas at Austin 1 University Station, C 2200, Austin, Texas, 78712 (USA) |
| Abstract: | Catalyst‐free growth of boron carbide nanowires is achieved by pyrolysis of diborane and methane at 650–750 °C and around 500 mTorr in a quartz tube furnace. Electron‐diffraction analysis using a novel diffraction‐scanning transmission electron microscopy (D‐STEM) technique indicates that the crystalline nanowires are single‐crystal orthorhombic boron carbide. TEM images show that the nanowires are covered by a 1–3 nm thick amorphous layer of carbon. Elemental analysis by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) shows only boron and carbon while energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) show the presence of oxygen as well as boron and carbon. |
| Keywords: | catalysis characterization tools nanowires |