Low-temperature synthesis and benzene-thermal growth of nanocrystalline boron nitride

Nanocrystalline boron nitride (BN) was prepared by the reaction of BBr3 and NaN3 at 350 °C. The morphologies of particles, needles, flakes and solid balls were controlled by solvothermal growth using benzene as solvent. X-ray powder diffraction patterns can be indexed as hexagonal BN with the lattice constants of a=2.502 and c=6.734 Å. The products were also characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectrum, fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction.