Composited BCN/carbon fibers prepared by hot-filament chemical vapor deposition

The combined BCN/carbon fibers with porous configuration have been successfully prepared by hot-filament chemical vapor deposition (HF-CVD). The composited materials consist of carbon fiber inside covered by the cylindrical BCN films. The differences in the surface morphology and the diameter of the composite fibers are related to the different reactant gases. It is demonstrated that the elements of B, C, and N are chemically bonded with atomic-level BCN hybrid in the composite fibers. The resistance of the composite fibers is about 300 Ω which is 10 times higher than that of the isolated carbon fibers (27.5 Ω). When the applying voltage increases up to 8-15 V, the BCN films have been broken down and the resistance of composite fibers decreases to the typical value of the carbon fibers. The composite fibers with porous configuration have the strongly capacity to adsorb oxygen. The findings suggest that the combined BCN/carbon fibers are favorable for achieving high performance nano-optoelectronic and sensor devices.

Research highlights▶ It is the first time to report BCN-C composite fibers prepared by HF-CVD. ▶ The fibers with porous configuration have the strong capacity to adsorb oxygen. ▶ The surface morphology and diameter of the fibers are affected by the gas source. ▶ The maximal breakdown volt varying with the configuration for BCN layer is 15 V.