Rare-earth doped boron nitride nanotubes

The rare-earth element europium has been doped into the skeleton of BN nanotubes (BNNTs) up to 0.5 at.%. The doing and synthesis processes have been systematically studied. The Eu-doping greatly increases the nanotube formation yield. The successful synthesis of Eu-doped BNNTs not only facilitates the exploration of the genuine structure but also presents a fascinating potential in creating new physical properties of BNNTs for various practical applications.