| Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are structurally similar to carbon nanotubes, which are cylinders with sub-micrometre diameters and micrometre lengths, except BNNT is composed of hexagonal boron nitride constructed by combining boron and nitrogen, whereas Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) have a carbon constructed hexagonal structure. The key features that represent BNNTs are light weight and mechanical strength like CNTs. However, the electronic properties of BN nanotubes are very different: whereas carbon nanotubes can be metallic or semiconducting depending on the rolling direction and radius, a BN nanotube is an electrical insulator. The layered BN structure is much more thermally and chemically stable than a graphite layered structure. BNNTs are demonstrating superior thermal and chemical stability than CNTs and they have 200,000 times higher thermal neutron absorption capacity than that of CNTs:
Thermal neutron absorption cross-section: B11=767 b (B10=~3800 b), N=1.9 b Information provided by Goodfellow. |
