Isotope effect on the thermal conductivity of boron nitride nanotubes

Phys Rev Lett. 2006 Aug 25;97(8):085901. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.085901. Epub 2006 Aug 24.

Abstract

We have measured the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity kappa(T) of individual multiwall boron nitride nanotubes using a microfabricated test fixture that allows direct transmission electron microscopy characterization of the tube being measured. kappa(T) is exceptionally sensitive to isotopic substitution, with a 50% enhancement in kappa(T) resulting for boron nitride nanotubes with 99.5% 11B. For isotopically pure boron nitride nanotubes, kappa rivals that of carbon nanotubes of similar diameter.