Influence of decoration with Si and Ge atoms on the sensitivity of boron nitride nanocone towards temozolomide anticancer drugs

The nature of intermolecular interactions between BN nanocones (BNNCs) and temozolomide (TMZ) drug has been described by using Wiberg bond index (WBI) and natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses. The adsorption energy of TMZ on the Si and Ge-decorated BNNCs were calculated to be about ??17.64 and ??16.47 kcal mol^?1, respectively. Also, after TMZ adsorption, the band gap energy (E_g) value of Si (Ge)-decorated BNNCs has reduced significantly by about 51.41% (50.99%), increasing the electrical conductivity, while the E_g value of pristine BNNCs was slightly reduced after TMZ adsorption. It indicates that the Si (Ge)-decorated BNNCs compared to pristine state could be more appropriate candidate for TMZ detection and may be used in the electronic sensors. Furthermore, the work function of Si (Ge)-decorated BNNCs is influenced by the TMZ adsorption, and the work function of decorated and pristine BNNCs is reduced by about 32.42% and 4.15%, respectively. The nature of interactions between TMZ and BNNCs is noncovalent based on the WBI and NBO results.

     

Oxidation of a two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride monolayer: a first-principles study

Two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal boron-nitride oxide (h-BNO) is a structural analogue of graphene oxide. Motivated by recent experimental studies of graphene oxide, we have investigated the chemical oxidation of 2D h-BN sheet and the associated electronic properties of h-BNO. Particular emphasis has been placed on the most favorable site(s) for chemisorption of atomic oxygen, and on the migration barrier for an oxygen atom hopping to the top, bridge, or hollow site on the h-BN surface, as well as the most likely pathway for the dissociation of an oxygen molecule on the h-BN surface. We find that when an oxygen atom migrates on the h-BN surface, it is most likely to be over an N atom, but confined by three neighbor B atoms (forming a triangle ring). In general, chemisorption of an oxygen atom will stretch the B-N bond, and under certain conditions may even break the B-N bond. Depending on the initial location of the first chemisorbed O atom, subsequent oxidation tends to form an O domain or O chain on the h-BN sheet. The latter may lead to a synthetic strategy for the unzipping of the h-BN sheet along a zigzag direction. A better understanding of the oxidation of h-BN sheet has important implications for tailoring the properties of the h-BN sheet for applications.     

Disiline-doped boron nitride nanotubes: A computational study

The properties of the electronic structure of the Disiline-doped boron nitride nanotubes (Disiline-BNNTs) are investigated by a density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The structural forms are firstly optimized and the CS tensors calculated. Subsequently, the chemical-shielding isotropic (CS^I) and chemical shielding anisotropic (CS^A) parameters are found. The shielding values of boron (B) and nitrogen (N) atoms were calculated by Gauge-Including Atomic Orbital (GIAO), Continuous Set of Gauge Transformations (CSGT) and Individual Gauges for Atoms in Molecules (IGAIM) methods, using B3LYP/6-311+G*. The B3LYP level of theory with IGAIM was the best method to evaluate the theoretical chemical shifts for studied models. The results reveal a significant effect of Disiline doping on the chemical shielding tensors at the sites of those ¹¹B and ¹⁵N nuclei located in the nearest neighborhood of the Disiline-doped ring. Furthermore, the values of dipole moments and HOMO-LUMO gaps change in the Disiline-doped models in comparison with the original pristine model.     

Alternant boron nitride cages: A theoretical study

Heteroatomic cages (B_N/2N_N/2) with borons and nitrogens fully replacing alternant sets of carbons in cages are built graph-theoretically and investigated via the semiempirical MNDO Hamiltonian. The comparison with their parent carbon cages C_N is made in terms both of electronic and of geometric changes. Infinite classes first of octahedral symmetry and second of hexagonal-bipyramidal symmetry fullerenoid cages are considered in detail. The difference in the electronegativities for boron and nitrogen implies the opening of HOMO-LUMO gaps for alternant BN clusters. In general, the borons prefer planar geometry (sp² hybridization) while the nitrogens prefer pyramidalization (sp³ hybridization). © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Adsorption of transition-metal atoms on boron nitride nanotube: a density-functional study

Adsorption of transition atoms on a (8,0) zigzag single-walled boron nitride (BN) nanotube has been investigated using density-functional theory methods. Main focuses have been placed on configurations corresponding to the located minima of the adsorbates, the corresponding binding energies, and the modified electronic properties of the BN nanotubes due to the adsorbates. We have systemically studied a series of metal adsorbates including all 3d transition-metal elements (Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) and two group-VIIIA transition-metal elements (Pd and Pt). We found that many transition-metal atoms can be chemically adsorbed on the outer surface of the BN nanotubes and that the adsorption process is typically exothermic. Upon adsorption, the binding energies of the Sc, Ti, Ni, Pd, and Pt atoms are relatively high (>1.0 eV), while those of V, Fe, and Co atoms are modest, ranging from 0.62 to 0.92 eV. Mn atom forms a weak bond with the BN nanotube, while Zn atom cannot be chemically adsorbed on the BN nanotube. In most cases, the adsorption of transition-metal atoms can induce certain impurity states within the band gap of the pristine BN nanotube, thereby reducing the band gap. Most metal-adsorbed BN nanotubes exhibit nonzero magnetic moments, contributed largely by the transition-metal atoms.     

Polyhedral boron nitride molecules

The geometrical and electronic structures of two isomers (1 and2) of the polyhedral boron nitride molecule, B₁₂N₁₂, have been calculated using the MNDO method. Structure1 having the form of a truncated octahedron is more energetically preferable (ΔH _f ⁰=−128 kcal mol⁻¹) than isomer2, which hasC _6v symmetry. The equilibrium geometries of the N₆B₆(CH₂)₆ isomers (3 and4), which simulate fragments of structure2, have been calculated. The stabilization mechanism of the N₆ nitrogen cluster (hexaazabenzene) in polyhedral structures is discussed. The parameters calculated for molecules1 and2 have been correlated with the corresponding characteristics of their carbon analogs. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 1712–1714, October, 1993.     

A computational study of oxygen-termination of a (6,0) boron nitride nanotube

Abstract  

We performed density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the properties of electronic structures of representative armchair and zigzag silicon carbide nanotubes (SiCNTs). The model structures were optimized and the NMR parameters were calculated at the sites of silicon-29 and carbon-13 atoms in these structures. Our results indicated that different electronic environments could be detected by using the atoms of nanotubes in which the atoms of tips, especially for zigzag SiCNT, exhibit distinctive properties among other atoms.     

Determination of boron and nitrogen in boron nitride

Improved techniques are described for the determination of boron and nitrogen in pure boron nitride. Controlled fusion of boron nitride with sodium carbonate in a muffle furnace is followed by a potentiometric titration of the boric acid. A special quartz vessel is described for the determination of nitrogen. The boron nitride is fused with sodium hydroxide and the resulting ammonia is swept into a receiver and titrated with standard hydrochloric acid. Boron and nitrogen values with their standard deviation are given for a typical pure boron nitride.     

A coupled-cluster study of linear and rhombic boron nitride dimers: a revisit

The potential energy surfaces of both singlet and triplet B₂N₂ have been investigated computationally at the coupled-cluster level with a polarized triple zeta basis set augmented with diffuse functions. Calculated vibrational frequencies and intensities are also reported. The triplet species are consistently more stable than their singlet analogs and the stabilities of the linear B₂N₂ isomers increase with increasing number of B–N bonds. The most stable isomer is the linear triplet BNBN isomer with a rhombic form with a short diagonal BB distance close in energy. Our results are consistent with the results of the matrix IR studies of Andrews et al. nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) values were calculated for the singlet D_2h rhombic form and its C_2v dication, and these were compared to those of the D_2h cyclobutadiene and its D_2d dication, respectively. Electron density plots for the linear and rhombic B₂N₂ minima showed similar distributions for the singlet and triplet states. These plots confirmed weak BB bonding interactions in both rhombic forms but larger BN bond orders.     

A computational study of water adsorption on boron nitride nanotube

The effect of water molecule adsorption on the surface of (5,0) zigzag boron nitride nanotube was studied by density functional theory calculations. Geometrical optimizations were carried out at the B3LYP/6-31+G* level of theory. Six different configurations of water molecule(s) adsorption process including monomer (1WB and 1WN), dimer (2WB, 2WNN, and 2WBN), and trimer (3WB) clusters were obtained. The strengths of interactions were analyzed by the equilibrium geometries, binding energies, and charge transfer. The natural bonding analysis was also performed to investigate electronic properties. The results reveal that the adsorption of water is more favorable as the water cluster size increases.     

Interfacial study of cubic boron nitride films deposited on diamond

We have studied the nucleation and growth of cubic boron nitride (cBN) films deposited on silicon and diamond-coated silicon substrates using fluorine-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD). These comparative studies substantiate that the incubation amorphous/turbostratic BN layers, essential for the cBN nucleation on silicon, are not vital precursors for cBN nucleation on diamond, and they are inherently eliminated. At vastly reduced critical bias voltage, down to -10 V, cBN growth is still maintained on diamond surfaces, and cBN and underlying diamond crystallites exhibit an epitaxial relationship. However, the epitaxial growth is associated with stress in the cBN-diamond interfacial region. In addition, some twinning of crystallites and small-angle grain boundaries are observed between the cBN and diamond crystallites because of the slight lattice mismatch of 1.36%. The small-angle grain boundaries could be eliminated by imposing a little higher bias voltage during the initial growth stage. The heteroepitaxial growth of cBN films on different substrate materials are discussed in the view of lattice matching, surface-energy compatibility, and stability of the substrate against ion irradiation.     

Solubilization of boron nitride nanotubes

A successful attempt in the functionalization and solubilization of boron nitride nanotubes is reported, and a functionalization mechanism based on interactions of amino functional groups with nanotube surface borons is proposed.     

Z-BN: a novel superhard boron nitride phase

A superhard boron nitride phase dubbed as Z-BN is proposed as a possible intermediate phase between h-BN and zinc blende BN (c-BN), and investigated using first-principles calculations within the framework of density functional theory. Although the structure of Z-BN is similar to that of bct-BN containing four-eight BN rings, it is more energetically favorable than bct-BN. Our study reveals that Z-BN, with a considerable structural stability and high density comparable to c-BN, is a transparent insulator with an indirect band gap of about 5.27 eV. Amazingly, its Vickers hardness is 55.88 GPa which is comparable to that of c-BN. This new BN phase may be produced in experiments through cold compressing AB stacking h-BN due to its low transition pressure point of 3.3 GPa.     

Theoretical study of boron nitride nanotubes with defects in nitrogen-rich synthesis

On the basis of calculations using the density functional theory, it is shown that BNNT synthesis could produce tubes deprived of one (B1 hole) or two (B2 hole) boron atoms under the condition where nitrogen atoms exist in excess throughout this study. The relative populations of various isomers of defective tubes will depend on the chirality of the tube. Interestingly, calculations show that B2 holes are much more favored than B1 holes, particularly in armchair tubes. Electronic properties are modified in such a way that the band gap is decreased through the introduction of defect states inside the gap. Magnetic properties will also be dependent on the chirality. The majority of armchair tubes with B2 holes will be nonmagnetic, while the majority of zigzag tubes with defects will exhibit magnetism. Contrary to the case of defect-free BNNT, the defective tubes are expected to be easily subject to reduction by accommodating excess electrons in the presence of Li atoms. In addition, the defect sites will show a higher affinity toward hydrogenation than the defect-free sites.