Growth of single-layer boron nitride dome-shaped nanostructures catalysed by iron clusters

Torre, A. La; �hlgren, E. H.; Fay, M. W.; Ben Romdhane, F.; Skowron, S. T.; Parmenter, C.; Davies, A. J.; Jouhannaud, J.; Pourroy, G.; Khlobystov, A. N.; Brown, P. D.; Besley, E.; Banhart, F.

Abstract

© 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry. We report on the growth and formation of single-layer boron nitride dome-shaped nanostructures mediated by small iron clusters located on flakes of hexagonal boron nitride. The nanostructures were synthesized in situ at high temperature inside a transmission electron microscope while the e-beam was blanked. The formation process, typically originating at defective step-edges on the boron nitride support, was investigated using a combination of transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy and computational modelling. Computational modelling showed that the domes exhibit a nanotube-like structure with flat circular caps and that their stability was comparable to that of a single boron nitride layer.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 22, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Jul 27, 2016
• Publication Date: Aug 28, 2016
• Deposit Date: Mar 26, 2020
• Journal: Nanoscale
• Print ISSN: 2040-3364
• Electronic ISSN: 2040-3372
• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 32
• Pages: 15079-15085
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/c6nr03474h
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1875633
• Publisher URL: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/NR/C6NR03474H#!divAbstract
• Additional Information: : This document is CrossCheck deposited; : Supplementary Information; : E. Besley (ORCID); : The Royal Society of Chemistry has an exclusive publication licence for this journal; OPEN ACCESS: The accepted version of this article will be made freely available after a 12 month embargo period; : Received 28 April 2016; Accepted 22 July 2016; Accepted Manuscript published 27 July 2016; Advance Article published 3 August 2016; Version of Record published 11 August 2016