Abstract
Unusual morphological features of boron nitride nanotubes produced via metal-oxide-promoted high-temperature syntheses from carbon nanotubes, boron oxide, and nitrogen were observed using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The tubes normally displayed open ends and preferentially two or four tubular layers as revealed by statistical analysis of 600 nanotubes. In addition, the total amount of tubes with even number of shells (61% occurrence) markedly prevailed over that with odd number of shells (39%). All three characteristics are exceptional for BN compared to other layered materials which may be assembled in tubules. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.