Evolution of Irradiation-Induced Vacancy Defects in Boron Nitride Nanotubes

Guangming Cheng; Shanshan Yao; Xiahan Sang; Boyi Hao; Dongyan Zhang; Yoke Khin Yap; Yong Zhu

doi:10.1002/smll.201502440

Evolution of Irradiation-Induced Vacancy Defects in Boron Nitride Nanotubes

Small. 2016 Feb 10;12(6):818-24. doi: 10.1002/smll.201502440. Epub 2015 Dec 18.

Authors

Guangming Cheng¹, Shanshan Yao¹, Xiahan Sang², Boyi Hao³, Dongyan Zhang³, Yoke Khin Yap³, Yong Zhu^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
² Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
³ Department of Physics, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA.

PMID: 26682873
DOI: 10.1002/smll.201502440

Abstract

Irradiation-induced vacancy defects in multiwalled (MW) boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are investigated via in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscope operated at 80 kV, with a homogeneous distribution of electron beam intensity. During the irradiation triangle-shaped vacancy defects are gradually generated in MW BNNTs under a mediate electron current density (30 A cm(-2)), by knocking the B atoms out. The vacancy defects grow along a well-defined direction within a wall at the early stage as a result of the curvature induced lattice strain, and then develop wall by wall. The orientation or the growth direction of the vacancy defects can be used to identify the chirality of an individual wall. With increasing electron current density, the shape of the irradiation-induced vacancy defects changes from regular triangle to irregular polygon.

Keywords: TEM; boron nitride, nanotubes; electron irradiation; irradiation-induced defects; vacancy defects.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.