Fluorination and Electrical Conductivity of BN Nanotubes

Abstract

Fluorination of BN nanotubes has been performed using a catalytic growth method, which leads to the appearance of markedly curved fluorine-doped BN sheets and converts originally insulating BN nanotubes to semiconductors, as confirmed by the comparative electron transport four-probe measurements on doped and undoped individual BN nanotubes.

Are fluorinated boron nitride nanotubes n-type semiconductors?

“…One may concern the stability of the adsorption of F atoms on BNNTs since experimental studies indicated that the doped fluorine escapes easily when the tube is exposed to air or under standard beam irradiation in the electron microscope. [5] Our results indicate that the adsorption of F on BNNTs is as easy as the substitution of F for N in BNNTs in the B rich environment, and the formation of A B F is much easier than that of S N F in the N rich environment, as can be seen from their formation energies. Our nudged elastic band (NEB) [11] calculations indeed show that the F dissociation in single-walled BNNTs with adsorption of F atoms is easier than that in S [5] instead of doping F after the stage of BNNTs growth.…”

“…[5] Our results indicate that the adsorption of F on BNNTs is as easy as the substitution of F for N in BNNTs in the B rich environment, and the formation of A B F is much easier than that of S N F in the N rich environment, as can be seen from their formation energies. Our nudged elastic band (NEB) [11] calculations indeed show that the F dissociation in single-walled BNNTs with adsorption of F atoms is easier than that in S [5] instead of doping F after the stage of BNNTs growth. We suppose that F adsorption occur in the stage of BNNTs growth, the F adsorbed on the inner walls of the multiwalled BNNTs should be stable.…”

“…[3] Previous experimental studies on functionalization of BNNTs have mainly focused on the B-N-C system through the sophisticate control of C content. [4] Very recently, Tang et al [5] have successfully obtained F functionalized BNNTs with highly curled tubular BN sheets, whose resistivity is smaller by three orders of magnitude than that of the undoped BNNTs. And based on the sole fact that F has excessive valence electrons compared to B and N, the F-doped BNNTs were supposed to be n-type semiconductors.…”

Engineering polar discontinuities in honeycomb lattices

“…By combining this technique with scanning probe lithography, a pristine graphene nanoribbon has been isolated within a matrix of partially fluorinated graphene 44 . In addition, encouraging results have been already reported on the partial fluorination of BN nanotubes 45 and nanosheets 46 .…”

Molar Binding Energy of Zigzag and Armchair Single-Walled Boron Nitride Nanotubes

“…and might have superior unique mechanical, thermal, and electronic properties [45]. In addition, BN nanotubes are characterized by chemical inertness and poor wetting [46].…”