Synthesis and characterization of boron carbide nanobelts

Boron carbide nanobelts have been synthesized successfully by carbothermal growth method. Boron oxide, activated carbon, gallium oxide and sodium chloride in the molar ratios of 1: 5: 0.03: 0.2 were used as raw materials. The width and thickness of the nanobelts range from 1 to 10 mu m, and 80 to 150 nm respectively. The length is up to 50-200 mu m. Diffraction peaks in the XRD pattern can be indexed to rhombohedral boron carbide with lattice parameters of a=5.616 angstrom, c=12.067 angstrom. SAED pattern recorded along [010] zone axis shows (104) growth direction. A vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth process on the active catalyst surface is supposed to interpret the growth mechanism of as-synthesized nanobelts.