Towards novel boron nanostructural materials

Abstract

Nanostructures are linked to many areas of science and technology. A cornerstone of our current research is the practical development of boron cluster-based, nanostructured Materials-by-Design. It is now possible to imagine and predictably model properties, synthesis procedures, manufacturing processes, and to functionally integrate engineering principles. Super-properties such as hardness, wear, coating, as a form of resistance to many attacks (e.g. corrosion), conductivity, spin and energy conversion/ storage, neutron protection and absorption, radiation shielding, armor, hardening, enforce, nanoenergetic, propulsion and glue materials, not to mention the boron neutron capture therapy in medicine, will benefit from the functionalization and industrialization of boron clusters and predicted nanostructures. The experimentally observed physical manifestations of a number of these clusters and nanostructures and related properties are consistent with our theoretical models. Early experiments have demonstrated the near-term viability of controlled synthesis for specific engineering properties.

Aqueous dispersions of few-layer-thick chemically modified magnesium diboride nanosheets by ultrasonication assisted exfoliation

“…Boron, carbon’s neighbour in the periodic table, has always sought immense interest from the scientific community on account of the rich properties it offers: low density, high melting point, ability to capture neutrons, and high chemical stability 8 9 10 11 . Several 1-D nanostructures constituted from boron and boron-based compounds have presented avenues for leveraging these properties 11 12 .…”

“…Boron, carbon’s neighbour in the periodic table, has always sought immense interest from the scientific community on account of the rich properties it offers: low density, high melting point, ability to capture neutrons, and high chemical stability 8 9 10 11 . Several 1-D nanostructures constituted from boron and boron-based compounds have presented avenues for leveraging these properties 11 12 . However, the research on quasi 2-D boron-based nanostructures has been primarily limited to hexagonal boron nitride ( h -BN) nanosheets synthesized by exfoliation of layered h -BN or chemical vapour deposition 2 7 12 13 14 15 16 .…”

“…However, the research on quasi 2-D boron-based nanostructures has been primarily limited to hexagonal boron nitride ( h -BN) nanosheets synthesized by exfoliation of layered h -BN or chemical vapour deposition 2 7 12 13 14 15 16 . The recent report on synthesizing a 36-atom quasi-planar cluster of boron (with a hexagonal vacancy) as a potential basis for borophene (a planar sheet constituted from boron) showcases the rising interest in developing boron-based quasi 2-D nanostructures 11 17 . Demonstrating the viability of exfoliating a layered boron-based compound alternative to h -BN will significantly add to the current state of knowledge on quasi 2-D boron-based nanostructures.…”

Relative stability of planar clusters B11, B12, and B13 in neutral- and charged-states

“…Copyright © 2019 Levan Chkhartishvili doi: 10.24294/can.v2i2.761 EnPress Publisher LLC.This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/ of boron clusters were numerically calculated by Boustani et al (summarizing of these studies see in [7] ) and some other teams (see above cited reviews and references therein). But, more vividly these species can be descried based on the diatomic model.…”

First principles study of structural and optical properties of B12 isomers

“…[1] For example, among the allotropes of carbon, all sp 2 -types are closely related and have been extensively studied: graphene (flat monoatomic sheet of graphite), spherical fullerenes, and nanotubes. [2] Also for boron, carbon's left neighbor in the periodic table, the landscape of fullerene-like possibilities is just beginning to emerge: from small quasi-planar clusters, spherical cages and nanotubes [3], then to borophene (single atom-thin monolayer sheet of boron atoms) [4].However, the development of non crystalline boron beyond the icosahedral arrangements began in the late eighties with theoretical and experimental studies on small boron clusters. Anderson group [5] carried out the first experimental and theoretical study of bonding and structures in boron cluster ions B n + for (n ≤ 13) in comparison with the well known closo boron hydrides.…”