Synthesis, structural analysis and in situ transmission electron microscopy mechanical tests on individual aluminum matrix/boron nitride nanotube nanohybrids

Boron nitride nanotube (BNNT)/aluminum matrix composite nanohybrids were fabricated through magnetron sputtering of Al onto dispersed multiwalled BNNTs with average external diameters of 40–50 nm. Aluminum phase coating tightly wrapped the BNNTs after the deposition. The coating thickness in the range of 5–200 nm was controlled by changing sputtering time. Using imaging techniques and electron diffraction analysis in a transmission electron microscope, the Al phase was found to create nanocrystalline shields around individual BNNTs. The chemical states of the hybrid nanomaterials during the initial stages of sputtering were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Direct in situ bending and tensile tests on individual BNNT–Al nanocomposites were carried out by using a dedicated transmission electron microscope-atomic force microscope holder. In parallel, high-resolution TEM images and video recordings were taken for the analysis of deformation kinetics and fracture mechanisms. The nanohybrids with a suitably thick aluminum coating (∼40 nm) withstood at least nine times higher stresses compared to a pure non-armed Al metal. This pioneering work opens up a prospective pathway for making ultralight and superstrong “dream” structural materials for future automotive and aerospace applications.