Structure and composition studies of chemical vapour-deposited BCN fibre coatings

The composition and structure of boron carbonitride (BCN) films were studied. The films were continuously deposited on fibres by atmospheric pressure CVD. The precursors were ammonia, trimethyl borate and toluene. The composition was determined by photoelectron spectra of boron 1s, nitrogen 1s, carbon 1s and oxygen 1s. By fixing the C 1s peak at 285 eV, the position of the B 1s peak and the N 1s peak in the BCN films was equal to BN films. The C content of the films increases from about 6 at% to 60 at%, leaving the stoichiometric boron/nitrogen ratio as well as the oxygen content below 10 at% unchanged. Generally, the carbon content in the films is lower than predicted by the precursor ratios. Obviously, the insertion of carbon into the film is decreased in the presence of ammonia, which is known to etch carbon. With a decreasing ammonia/toluene ratio, the undesired effect in the reaction is suppressed and the carbon deposition becomes considerable. Transmission electron microscopic studies were performed on cross-sections of the coated fibres. High-resolution images generally show a hexagonal turbostratic structure with different orientation preferences of the atomic lamellae similar to hexagonal turbostratic boron nitride and pyrolytic carbon. When a noticeable carbon concentration (20 at%) is reached, the atomic sheets become uniformly distributed in all directions in space.     

ESCA investigations on pyrolytic carbon films for fiber coatings

Photoelectron spectroscopy on pyrolytic carbon films revealed a main part of carbon atoms in graphitic planes and a smaller part of functional groups with oxygen bonded to carbon atoms. Oxygen totalled a share of 10 at% and more of the carbon coating. The films with a turbostratic structure consist of nearly parallel oriented atomic layers of hexagonal rings with dimensions in the nanometer scale, which is well known from HREM investigations. The oxygen atoms are proposed to saturate the numerous dangling bonds around these individual atomic planes. The oxygen atoms form double bonds or bridges between carbon atoms. Received: 15 July 1998 / Revised: 28 January 1998 / Accepted: 2 February 1998     

X-ray photoelectron study of the effect of the composition of the initial gas phase on changes in the electronic structure of hexagonal boron nitride films obtained by PECVD from borazine

Hexagonal boron nitride films are synthesized by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) from a gas mixture of borazine and ammonia or helium on Si(100) substrates. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to study changes in the electronic structure and chemical composition of the films depending on the composition of the initial gas mixture. It is found that the chemical composition of the samples depends on the gas used. The use of helium results in an excess of boron atoms on the film surface, the appearance of B–B bonds, and a decrease in the contribution of B–N bonds in the hexagonal structure. The preparation of h-BN films close to the stoichiometric composition by PECVD methods with the use of borazine is shown to be possible with the addition of ammonia. Based on the literature data, the binding energies in the B 1s XPS spectra are calculated for different boron environments in the hexagonal lattice.     

Characterisation of boron nitride fibre coatings with different crystalline order by TEM and XPS

Reinforcement effects in composites are widely influenced by fibre coatings. A detailed understanding of their microstructure and chemical composition is of great interest. Boron nitride films were deposited continuously on fibre rovings of various ceramics in CVD reactors of vertical as well as horizontal position. XPS depth profilings show that the film compositions are close to stoichiometric BN with carbon and oxygen impurities in the range of 10 at%. Cross-sections of separated fibres were investigated by HREM and TEM diffraction. All BN films are hexagonal turbostratic. The (002) layers with an increased distance (about 0.36 nm) showed a mean stacking sequence near to graphite and a characteristic orientation to the fibre in the interface region. We assume the gas flow type and hence the exchange rate of matter and energy determines the film structure in this region. With increasing film thickness the (002) layers fold randomly in all directions or form nanocrystals at elevated temperatures. Received: 7 September 1998 / Revised: 13 January 1999 / Accepted: 5 February 1999     

Preparation of SiBN films deposited by MOCVD

SiBN films were prepared by the MOCVD method using triethylsilane and triethylboron as source materials. The SiBN films were a mixture of boron nitride and silicon nitride determined by IR spectra. The relationship between the ratio of mixture and the preparation condition is clarified. The ratio of silicon nitride to boron nitride in the films was proportional to the ratio of triethylsilane to triethylboron under a large excess of ammonia flow condition. The reaction temperature also influenced the ratio of boron nitride and silicon nitride in the films. The deposition rate of the film increased up to 800°C with a maximum at 1000°C, and decreased up to 1300°C with small value. The crystallinity of SiBN films was very poor because the crystal growth was obstructed.     

Influence of oxygen on the crystalline-amorphous transition in gallium nitride films

Oxygen is a common impurity in nitride-based materials that affects the properties of technologically important materials such as gallium nitride semiconductors. In this work, the influence of oxygen on the structural evolution of GaN films is investigated using near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS). The combined spectra of Ga L3-edge, N K-edge, and O K-edge indicate that the gallium coordination, formed by a mixture of oxide and nitride bonds, is directly dependent on the concentration of oxygen in the films. Below 24 atom % oxygen, gallium atoms are tetrahedrally coordinated within the films, while at higher concentrations the octahedral environment persists.     

Decoration of nitrogen vacancies by oxygen atoms in boron nitride nanotubes

Decoration of nitrogen vacancies by oxygen atoms has been studied by near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) around B K-edge in several boron nitride (BN) structures, including bamboo-like and multi-walled BN nanotubes. Breaking of B-N bonds and formation of nitrogen vacancies under low-energy ion bombardment reduces oxidation resistance of BN structures and promotes an efficient oxygen-healing mechanism, in full agreement with some recent theoretical predictions. The formation of mixed O-B-N and B-O bonds is clearly identified by well-resolved peaks in NEXAFS spectra of excited boron atoms.     

杂原子掺杂的含单空位缺陷BN纳米管的非线性光学性质

采用密度泛函理论(DFT)研究了杂原子M(M=Li, Na, K, Be, Mg, Ca, C和Si)在B/N单空位缺陷处的掺杂对(6,0)BN纳米管体系非线性光学性质的影响. 采用B3LYP方法共得到了14种几何构型, 并采用BHandHLYP方法计算了这些结构的第一超极化率β₀值. 研究结果表明, 单纯的B或N缺陷几乎不影响BN纳米管体系的非线性光学性质; 与B缺陷处掺杂的体系相比, 杂原子在N缺陷处的掺杂更有利于提高BN纳米管体系的第一超极化率β₀值; 对于同周期掺杂原子, 还原性越强的原子掺杂对BN纳米管体系的第一超极化率β₀值的改善越明显, 表现为β₀(Ⅰ族)>β₀(Ⅱ族)>β₀(Ⅳ族); 对比同主族掺杂原子, 第三周期元素Na和Mg的掺杂能更有效地提高体系的第一超极化率β₀值, 原因主要在于原子半径和还原性等因素共同决定其对BN纳米管体系第一超极化率β₀值的改善程度. 本文研究结果为有效提高BN纳米管体系的非线性光学性质提供了一种新思路, 为基于BN纳米管的非线性光学材料设计提供了有价值的理论信息.     

A comparative study of Mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs) surfactant adsorption upon the Al12N12 and B12N12 nano-cages as potential candidates for detecting MELs

Aluminum nitride and boron nitride nanocages have recently been discovered. The properties of these compounds vary according to their size. In this paper, we study the adsorption of MELs on aluminum nitride and boron nitride nanocages in the solution phase using density functional theory. The results of adsorption energies indicate that during the adsorption on aluminum nanocages, ether oxygen atoms show stronger adsorption, while adsorption is stronger on boron nitride nanocage from the hydroxyl group oxygen. The results of thermodynamic calculations indicate that all adsorption positions of aluminum nitride are thermodynamically favorable. However, in the case of boron nitride, some positions are thermodynamically unfavorable. In terms of recovery time, borne nitride is not a good adsorbent because of very small recovery time. The aluminum nitride may be able to behave as a suitable sensor for the MELs in the solution phase. Nevertheless, boron nitride does not have this capability, since it does not significantly change the number of conducting electrons.     

Selective adsorption of atomic hydrogen on a h-BN thin film

The adsorption of atomic hydrogen on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is studied using two element-specific spectroscopies, i.e., near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). B K-edge NEXAFS spectra show a clear change in the energy region of the π* band before and after reaction with atomic deuterium. On the other hand, N K-edge NEXAFS spectra show only a little change. B 1s XPS spectra show a distinct component at the low binding energy side of a main component, while N 1s XPS spectra show peak broadening at the high binding energy side. These experimental results are analyzed by the discrete variational Xα method with a core-hole effect and are explained by a model in which hydrogen atoms are preferentially adsorbed on the B sites of h-BN. Based on the experimental and theoretical results, we propose a site-selective property of BN material on adsorption of atomic hydrogen.     

SiC-doped boron nitride nanotubes: computations of 11B and 14N quadrupole coupling constants

Abstract  

Density-functional theory calculations have been performed to investigate the properties of the electronic structures of silicon–carbon-doped boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). The geometries of zigzag and armchair BNNTs were initially optimized and the quadrupole coupling constants subsequently calculated. The results indicate that doping of B and N atoms by C and Si atoms has more influence on the electronic structure of the BNNTs than does doping of B and N atoms by Si and C atoms. The changes of the electronic sites of the N atoms are also more significant than those of the B atoms.     

XPS investigations of thick,oxygen-containing cubic boron nitride coatings

Cubic boron nitride (c-BN) coatings produced by PVD and PECVD techniques usually exhibit very high compressive stresses and poor adhesion due to intense ion bombardments of the growing surface that are mandatory during the formation of the cubic phase. Our previous investigations indicate, however, that a controlled addition of oxygen during film deposition can lead to a drastic reduction of the detrimental stress, yet having minor effect on the cubic phase content in the resulting low-stress, oxygen-containing c-BN:O coatings (as already confirmed by various analytical methods like X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and electron diffraction, and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR)). This stress-reduction technique makes possible the deposition of well-adhered, superhard c-BN:O layer about 2 μm thick through magnetron sputtering on top of an adhesion-promoting base layer and via a compositional-graded nucleation process. In the present paper, we report on the atomic bonding structure relating in particular to the incorporated oxygen within such a thick c-BN:O coating using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The c-BN:O top layer was found to consist of about 49.8 at% boron, 42.2 at% nitrogen, 5.5 at% oxygen, as well as small amounts of carbon (1.4 at%) and argon (1.1 at%). Because of the low oxygen concentration, it was difficult to categorize the bonding state of oxygen according to the XPS spectra of B 1s and N 1s elemental lines. However, the detailed results in terms of the O 1s spectrum strongly indicated that the lattice nitrogen of c-BN was partially replaced by the added oxygen.     

Hydrogen adsorption on zigzag (8,0) boron nitride nanotubes

The chemical adsorption of H atoms on an (8,0) zigzag boron nitride nanotube is studied using the density functional theory with the supercell method. One to four H atoms per 32 B and 32 N are considered. The results show that H atoms prefer to adsorb on the top sites of adjacent B and N atoms to form an armchair chain along the tube axis. An even-odd oscillation behavior of the adsorption energy of H atoms on the tube is found, and the average adsorption energy of even H atoms is obviously bigger than that of odd H atoms. The results can be understood with the frontier orbital theory. Based on this adsorption behavior, several high-symmetric structures of H adsorbed boron nitride nanotubes with 50% and 100% coverages are studied. The pairs of lines' pattern with 50% coverage has the biggest average adsorption energy per H(2) among the chosen configurations, corresponding to approximately 4 wt % hydrogen storage.     

Hydrogen adsorption on carbon-doped boron nitride nanotube

The adsorption of atomic and molecular hydrogen on carbon-doped boron nitride nanotubes is investigated within the ab initio density functional theory. The binding energy of adsorbed hydrogen on carbon-doped boron nitride nanotube is substantially increased when compared with hydrogen on nondoped nanotube. These results are in agreement with experimental results for boron nitride nanotubes (BNNT) where dangling bonds are present. The atomic hydrogen makes a chemical covalent bond with carbon substitution, while a physisorption occurs for the molecular hydrogen. For the H(2) molecule adsorbed on the top of a carbon atom in a boron site (BNNT + C(B)-H(2)), a donor defect level is present, while for the H(2) molecule adsorbed on the top of a carbon atom in a nitrogen site (BNNT + C(N)-H(2)), an acceptor defect level is present. The binding energies of H(2) molecules absorbed on carbon-doped boron nitride nanotubes are in the optimal range to work as a hydrogen storage medium.     

Computational NQR study of a boron nitride nanocone

Abstract  

The electronic structure of a boron nitride nanocone with 240° disclination, and some properties that derive from this structure, were studied by density-functional theory calculations. In the considered model there are only hexagonal rings, with the apex and mouth of the nanocone saturated by hydrogen atoms. The model was optimized, and then the nuclear quadrupole resonance parameters were calculated at the sites of ¹¹B and ¹⁴N nuclei. The results revealed that the nuclei in the boron nitride nanocone are divided into layers with similar electronic properties. The nuclei at the apex and mouth are very important for the electronic behavior of the nanocone, with ¹¹B playing the major role.     

Ab initio and variational transition state approach to beta-C3N4 formation: kinetics for the reaction of CH3NH2 with H

The CH3NH2 molecule has been considered as either an important intermediate in methane and ammonia mixtures or a precursor in methylamine and hydrogen mixtures in the synthesis of carbon nitride thin films. The fast Hydrogen (H) abstraction from CH3NH2 is an important process involved in the formation of HCN or CNH in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of carbon nitride thin films. The energetic and kinetic characteristics of the H abstraction reaction from CH3NH2 by atomic H used in CVD of beta-C3N4 were studied using ab initio direct dynamics methods for the first time. Two primary processes were identified for this reaction: H abstraction from the CH3 group and H abstraction from the NH2 group. On the basis of ab initio data, the rate constants of each channel have been deduced by canonical variational transition state theory with small-curvature tunneling correction over a wide temperature range of 200 to approximately 3000 K. The theoretical results were compared with available experimental data.     

Fabrication of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanosheets by Using a Simple Thermal Exfoliation Process

A simple and inexpensive method to exfoliate boron nitride powder to form boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) with few layers was achieved by using a physically thermal process. The obtained BNNSs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), IR spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The size distribution of the sheets and average sheet size is in the range of 80–380 nm and 200±62 nm, respectively, and the pure phase h‐BN products were confirmed. XPS result showed the B/N atomic ratio to be 0.99. In addition, the BNNSs can well disperse in aqueous solution to form a cloudy suspension and importantly, can remain suspended for 1 month without precipitate, which would have good potential in a wide range of applications.     

Ab initio prediction of 15N-NMR chemical shift in α-boron nitride based on an analysis of connectivities

Hydrogen-saturated cut-outs of hexagonal boron nitride have been used to model the solid state. Model compounds have been geometry optimized by means of density functional theory, whereas chemical shift calculations have been carried out at the coupled-perturbed Hartree–Fock level of theory employing gauge-including atomic orbital (GIAO) basis sets. The reliability of results has been tested against experimental values for chemical shifts in stable molecules with similar structural elements. With increasing cluster size, viz. a vanishing influence of the saturating hydrogens on the innermost nitrogen atoms, we find a convergence of ¹⁵N chemical shifts. A classification scheme for the chemical environment of a nitrogen atom has been set up according to its bonding graph including the second coordination sphere. For a given connectivity, chemical shifts vary within a few parts per million, thus enabling us to predict a ¹⁵N-NMR chemical shift of −285 ± 5 ppm for solid α-boron nitride. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 19: 716–725, 1998     

氮化硼诱导聚乙烯分子结晶的分子动力学模拟

采用分子动力学方法(MD)研究熔体条件下聚乙烯分子在氮化硼纳米管表面和氮化硼片层表面的结晶机理。通过对聚乙烯分子结晶过程中晶体构象的演变、空间内分子分布的变化以及分子扩散特性的研究,从微观角度比较了两种结构氮化硼纳米材料对聚乙烯结晶的影响。结果表明一维结构的氮化硼纳米管诱导聚乙烯结晶的能力远高于二维片层状的氮化硼,说明纳米材料的维度影响着高分子材料的结晶性能。     

Oxidation of nitrided si(100) by gaseous atomic and molecular oxygen

The nitridation of Si(100) by ammonia and the subsequent oxidation of the nitrided surface by both gaseous atomic and molecular oxygen was investigated under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Nitridation of Si(100) by the thermal decomposition of NH3 results in the formation of a subsurface nitride and a decrease in the concentration of surface dangling bond sites. On the basis of changes in the N1s spectra obtained after NH3 adsorption and decomposition, we estimate that the nitride resides about four to five layers below the vacuum-solid interface and that the concentration of surface dangling bonds after nitridation is only 59% of its value on Si(100)-(2 x 1). Oxidation of the nitrided surface is found to produce an oxide phase that remains in the outer layers of the solid and interacts only weakly with the underlying nitride for oxygen coverages up to 2.5 ML. Slight changes in the N1s spectra observed after oxidizing at 300 K are suggested to arise primarily from the introduction of strain within the nitride, and by the formation of a small amount of Si2=N-O species near the nitride-oxide interface. The nitrogen bonding environment changes negligibly after oxidizing at 800 K, which is indicative of greater phase separation at elevated surface temperature. Nitridation is also found to significantly reduce the reactivity of the Si(100) surface toward both atomic and molecular oxygen. A comparison of the oxygen uptake on the clean and nitrided surfaces shows quantitatively that the decrease in dangling bond concentration is responsible for the reduced activity of the nitrided surface toward oxidation, and therefore that dangling bonds are the initial adsorption site for both gaseous oxygen atoms and molecules. Increasing the surface temperature is found to promote the uptake of oxygen when O2 is used as the oxidant, but brings about only a small enhancement in the uptake of gaseous O-atoms. The different effects of surface temperature on the uptake of O versus O2 are interpreted in terms of the efficiency at which dangling bond pairs are regenerated on the surface at elevated temperature and the different site requirements for the adsorption of O and O2.