Atomic structures and stability of boron nitride nanotubes with a cup-stacked structure

摘要

Boron nitride (BN) nanotubes were prepared as mixtures of a-Fe_2O_3, B and carbon powders, followed by annealing at 1100 deg C for 2 h on alumina boats in a furnace under nitrogen atmosphere. BN nanotubes with cup-stacked structures were observed by high-resolution electron microscopy, and molecular mechanics calculation showed that the nanotube structures would be stabilized by stacking of BN cup-layers.