Boron nitride nanotubes: Pronounced resistance to oxidation

TLDR

Boron nitride nanotubes have the same nanostructure as carbon nanotubes but exhibit significant resistance to oxidation at high temperatures. BN nanotubes remain stable up to 700 °C in air, with thin multiwalled tubes (<20 nm) surviving up to 900 °C, and exhibit an oxidation onset at 800 °C versus 400 °C for carbon nanotubes, a resistance derived from hexagonal BN and nanocrystalline structure that enables high‑temperature applications.

Abstract

Boron nitride (BN) nanotubes have the same nanostructure as carbon nanotubes but are found to exhibit significant resistance to oxidation at high temperatures. Our systematic study has revealed that BN nanotubes are stable at 700 °C in air and that some thin nanotubes (diameter less than 20 nm) with perfect multiwalled cylindrical structure can survive up to 900 °C. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals an onset temperature for oxidation of BN nanotubes of 800 °C compared with only 400 °C for carbon nanotubes under the same conditions. This more pronounced resistance of BN nanotubes to oxidation is inherited from the hexagonal BN and also depends on the nanocrystalline structure. This high level of resistance to oxidation allows promising BN nanotube applications at high temperatures.