Low-temperature green synthesis of boron carbide using aloe vera

Abstract

The unique structural and physical properties of boron carbide, which make it suitable for a wide range of applications, demands the development of low-cost and green synthesis method. In the present work, the commonly available leaves of aloe vera are hydrothermally treated to form the carbon precursor for the synthesis of boron carbide. The morphological characterization reveals the porous nature of the precursor turning into a tubular structure upon boron carbide formation. The structural characterization by x-ray diffraction and other spectroscopic techniques such as Fourier transform infrared, Raman, photoluminescence and uv-visible near-infrared spectroscopy confirm the formation of boron carbide. The thermogravimetric analysis of the sample is found to exhibit good thermal stability above 500 °C. When the sample is annealed to 600 °C, boron carbide with phase purity is obtained, which is confirmed through XRD and FTIR analyses. The optical emission properties of the sample are studied through CIE plot and power spectrum. Compared with other natural precursors for boron carbide, the aloe vera is found to give a good yield above 50%.