Boron metallic behavior

Finally, the structural modifications of elemental boron exhibit complex extended lattices of cages in the solid state, whereas those of metals possess much simpler close-packed atomic lattices. These differences are a direct reflection of atomic properties and result in the respective nonmetallic and metallic behavior. However, boron combines with most other elements including metals. There are a wide range of metal borides known with stoichiometric as well as nonstoi-chiometric atomic ratios. The amazingly varied interpenetration of the two characteristic structural motifs and the subtly balanced competition between the two modes of solid state bonding found in the metal borides constitutes further justification of our theme. This is discussed in some detail in Section II,C. 

Conductivity of (BN) iSO F and comparison with Cg SO F. In our early studies (12), a four-probe technique was employed, in which four platinum wires were used for electrical contact, and the samples were prepared by pressing powdered polycrystalline material into pellets. Because the platinum wires and the pellet surface are not ideally flat, a uniform intimate contact could not be assured between the wires and the pellet. The boundary effects due to the polycrystalline nature of the pellet sample also render such conductivity measurements unreliable. Attempts to use a contactless radio frequency inductive technique described by Zeller et al. (22) failed because this technique is not sensitive to low conductivities. A four-point probe measurement (21) on an intercalated highly oriented boron nitride sample was used in the present set of conductivity measurements. The <7295k 1.5Scm . The specific conductivity increased with decreasing temperature (see Fig. 1), it having nearly twice the room temperature value at 77 K. This indicates metallic behavior. 

The development of low-pressure synthesis methods for diamond, such as the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique, has generated enormous and increasing interest and has extended the scope of diamond applications. Highly efficient methods have been developed for the economical growth of polycrystalline diamond films on non diamond substrates. Moreover, these methods allow the controlled incorporation of an impurity such as boron into diamond, which in this case forms a ptype semiconductor. By doping the diamond with a high concentration of boron (B/C = O.Ol), conductivity can be increased, and semi-metallic behavior can be obtained, resulting in a new type of electrode material with all of the unique properties of diamond, such as hardness, optical transparency, thermal conductivity and chemical inertness [1,2]. 

In the case of the fibrous laminate not much work has been done, but it has been observed that a significant loss of stiffness in boron—aluminum laminate occurs when cycled in tension—tension (43,44). Also, in a manner similar to that in the laminated PMCs, the ply stacking sequence affects the fatigue behavior. For example, 90° surface pHes in a 90°/0° sequence develop damage more rapidly than 0° pHes. In the case of laminates made out of metallic sheets, eg, stainless steel and aluminum, further enhanced resistance against fatigue crack propagation than either one of the components in isolation has been observed (45). 

For a large number of applications involving ceramic materials, electrical conduction behavior is dorninant. In certain oxides, borides (see Boron compounds), nitrides (qv), and carbides (qv), metallic or fast ionic conduction may occur, making these materials useful in thick-film pastes, in fuel cell apphcations (see Fuel cells), or as electrodes for use over a wide temperature range. Superconductivity is also found in special ceramic oxides, and these materials are undergoing intensive research. Other classes of ceramic materials may behave as semiconductors (qv). These materials are used in many specialized apphcations including resistance heating elements and in devices such as rectifiers, photocells, varistors, and thermistors. 

Let s address the issue of nonlinear material behavior, i.e., nonlinear stress-strain behavior. Where does this nonlinear material behavior come from Generally, any of the matrix-dominated properties will exhibit some degree of material nonlinearity because a matrix material is generally a plastic material, such as a resin or even a metal in a metal-matrix composite. For example, in a boron-aluminum composite material, recognize that the aluminum matrix is a metal with an inherently nonlinear stress-strain curve. Thus, the matrix-dominated properties, 3 and Gj2i generally have some level of nonlinear stress-strain curve. 

The thermal behavior of tetraborides is based on two factors the saturation vapor pressure of the metal, an increase of which increases the dissociation, and the stability of the B—B bonds within the boron sublattice, the strength of the B—B bonds decreasing as the size of the cubic lattice parameter increases. 

The remarkable stability of iridium-boryl complexes, as a function of the substituents on boron, is most likely responsible for the unique behavior of iridium in metal-promoted B-addition to unsaturated molecules. 

Interestingly, the propensity of the boron atom to engage in secondary interactions was also examined by Jacobsen. The interaction of the rhodium complex 60 with a model substrate, namely 5-hexen-l-amine, was monitored by 1H NMR spectroscopy.62 The stronger upheld shifts of the alkene resonances compared to those observed upon coordination of the same substrate to the related boron-free salt [Rh(cod)(DIOP)][ClC>4] (cod = cycloocta-1,5-diene) were attributed to a cooperative behavior of the boron and metal centers of 60 that concomitantly interact with the nitrogen atom and alkene moiety, respectively (Figure 20). 

As noted in Section 9, the structures of the R-B-C(N) compounds (Figure 21) are homologous to that of boron carbide which exhibits typical p-type characteristics. Boron carbide is the limit where the number of boron icosahedra and C-B-C chain layers separating the metal layers reaches infinity (i.e. no rare earth layers). It has been speculated that the 2 dimensional metal layers of these rare earth R-B-C(N) compounds are playing a role for the unusual n-type behavior, but the mechanism is not yet clear. 

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