Role of structural defects in the ultraviolet luminescence of multiwall boron nitride nanotubes

BN nanotubes (BNNTs) are structurally similar to their carbon counterparts, though much less investigated. New synthesis methods have been recently reported, enabling the production of industrial quantities and stimulating the search of new applications for the BNNTs. In this paper, we investigate t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied physics 2015-12, Vol.118 (23)
Main Authors: Pierret, Aurélie, Nong, Hanond, Fossard, Frédéric, Attal-Trétout, Brigitte, Xue, Yanming, Golberg, Dmitri, Barjon, Julien, Loiseau, Annick
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied physics
Boron nitride
BORON NITRIDES
CARBON
CATHODOLUMINESCENCE
CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS
Defects
DISLOCATIONS
EV RANGE
EXCITATION
Luminescence
MATERIALS SCIENCE
NANOTUBES
STACKING FAULTS
SYNTHESIS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
Tubes
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
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Summary:BN nanotubes (BNNTs) are structurally similar to their carbon counterparts, though much less investigated. New synthesis methods have been recently reported, enabling the production of industrial quantities and stimulating the search of new applications for the BNNTs. In this paper, we investigate the luminescence of multiwall BNNTs. By performing cathodoluminescence experiments on single tubes at 10 K, we show that the tube luminescence is highly heterogeneous (i) from tube to tube and (ii) spatially along a single tube. By combining cathodoluminescence measurements with a nanometer excitation and transmission electron microscopy on the same tube, we correlate luminescence and structural features. We conclude that the near-band-edge luminescence of BNNTs (≈5.4 eV) is related to the presence of extended structural defects, such as dislocations or ruptures in the wall stacking.
ISSN:0021-8979
1089-7550
DOI:10.1063/1.4937990