Photoluminescence spectroscopy of BN nanotubes using Synchrotron VUV radiation

Abstract

We report the photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) of BN nanotubes using synchrotron VIJV radiation. The nanotubes with different sizes and structures were produced using the ball milling and annealing method, in which amorphous boron was first milled in ammonia gas at 300 KPa for 150 hours with steel rolling mill, followed by a thermal annealing in nitrogen or ammonia gas. The emission spectra of BN nanotubes after VIJV excitation show that photoluminescence of BN nanotubes depends on nanotube sizes and structures, as well as temperatures. The PL spectra of thin cylindrical BN nanotubes (diameter less than 10 nm) are significantly different from that of thick nanotubes (diameter around 100 nm). This may be due to the band gap changes from quantum confinement effect. The photoluminescence of BN nanotubes, especially for thin cylindrical nanotubes also depends on temperature of the samples.