Defect-Induced Efficient Heteroepitaxial Growth of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes @ Hexagonal Boron Nitride Films.

Carbon nanotube-based derivatives have attracted considerable research interest due to their unique structure and fascinating physicochemical properties. However, the controlled growth mechanism of these derivatives remains unclear, and the synthesis efficiency is low. Herein, we proposed a defect-induced strategy for the efficient heteroepitaxial growth of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)@hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) films. Air plasma treatment was first performed to generate defects on the wall of SWCNTs. Then, atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition was conducted to grow h-BN on the surface of SWCNTs. Controlled experiments combined with first-principles calculations revealed that the induced defects on the wall of SWCNTs function as nucleation sites for the efficient heteroepitaxial growth of h-BN.