Boron Science

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are part of the so-called B-C-N material system, which includes novel nanostructures of carbon (C), doped-carbon, boron (B), boron nitride (BN), carbon nitride (CNx), boron-carbon nitride (BxCyNz), and boron carbide (BxCy). BNNTs and CNTs are structurally similar and share extraordinary mechanical properties, but they differ in chemical, biological, optical, and electrical properties.

The present issue of Structure and Bonding is dedicated to applied group 13 chemistry, particularly for the elements boron and aluminum, and to a lesser degree gallium and indium. Although boron is a trace element (0.01 g kg 1) in the earth's crust, it has been concentrated in a few locations by geochemical processes and is relatively easy to mine as borax. Aluminum, on the other hand, is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust (82 g kg 1) and dispersed widely throughout the globe.