Boron carbide amorphous solid with tunable band gap

Abstract Boron carbide BxC ( x = 1 / 6 − 10 ) powders were synthesized through a microwave-assisted carbothermic reduction reaction as a potential clean energy material. Their crystallographic structures and optical properties were characterized. X-ray diffraction and electron diffraction indicated that the synthesized BxC powders were amorphous. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy demonstrated that the composition of boron and carbon was in amorphous materials, and their chemical bonding were disclosed from Raman scattering spectroscopy. UV–vis absorption spectroscopy indicated that the bandgap of the bulks varied from 2.30eV to 3.90eV, tuned by the boron/carbon element ratio. The synthesized powders were potential photovoltaic materials. A short-range ordering model was established to explain the optical properties.