A simple one step organic to inorganic pyrolysis route to bulk quantity boron carbonitride/carbon nanocables

• Bulk quantity boron carbonitride/carbon (BCN/C) nanocables have been synthesized by a simple one step organic to inorganic pyrolysis route.
• BCN/C nanocables exhibit a much better oxidation resistance than substrate carbon nanofibers.
• A probable formation mechanism of the BCN/C nanocables is proposed according to the experimental results.

Bulk quantity boron carbonitride/carbon (BCN/C) nanocables have been successfully synthesized by a simple one step organic compounds pyrolysis route at 1100 °C. The nanocables consist of nanocarbon fibers inside covered by the cylindrical BCN coatings. The characteristics of the surface morphology and the diameters of the nanocables are determined by soaking time. It is demonstrated that the elements of B, C and N are hybridly bonded in the coating. The weight loss of the nanocables is about 12% at 1200 °C which is much better than the substrate carbon nanofibers (CNFs) (more than 20% weight loss at 1200 °C). The minimum reflection coefficient below −20 dB for the products is −24.5 dB at 14.48 GHz indicating good microwave absorption properties. The results suggest that the nanocables are favorable for achieving high performance oxidization resistance and microwave absorption properties.