Fe nanowire encapsulated in boron nitride nanotubes

Boron nitride (BN) nanotubes, nanohorns, nanocoils were synthesized by annealing Fe4N and B powders at 1000 °C for 1 h in nitrogen gas atmosphere. Especially, Fe-filled BN nanotubes were produced, and investigated by high-resolution electron microscopy, high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, which indicates that the [110] of Fe is parallel to the BN nanotube axis. Formation mechanism of Fe-filled BN nanotube was speculated based on these results.