Structure of Elusive Boron Monoxide Finally Determined After 83 Years
In an effort to discover new 2D materials, a team of scientists from Ames National Laboratory determined the structure of boron monoxide. Phys.Org reports: This compound was first discovered in the 1940s and maintained research interest throughout the years. Scientists were, however, unable to determine the structure of the material due to technological limitations of the time. Using new NMR methods and previously unavailable analytical tools, the team from Ames Lab finally solved the structure of this deceptively simple material. "We initially weren't really looking into studying this particular material," said Frederic Perras, a scientist from Ames Lab and member of the research team. "We were actually trying to make a carbon-free covalent organic framework." A covalent organic framework is a low-density and porous material with a periodically ordered crystal structure. It is composed of organic molecules that are linked together through covalent bonds. [...] Perras explained that boron monoxide is made using a precursor molecule that acts like building blocks. These molecules stick together through dehydration reactions. The key to understating the structure is to figure out how the blocks are physically arranged. "So we developed some NMR methods that allow us to study the orientation of these building blocks relative to each other. Basically, we found that adjacent precursor molecules were getting organized parallel to each other, which matched one of the previously proposed models," Perras said. "We also applied a lot of other techniques, including powder X-ray diffraction, which showed that these nanosheets organized themselves into what's called a turbostratic arrangement," said Perras. He explained that these stacked nanosheets are like a stack of paper thrown onto a desk. Once they land, they are not perfectly aligned, but they remain in a stack. The findings have been published in the journal American Chemical Society.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.