Boron Carbide Ceramics, MgB2 Superconductors, and Borophene Nanomaterials
This research community investigates the synthesis, structural properties, and applications of boron-based materials, ranging from hard ceramics and superconducting wires to two-dimensional nanosheets.
The work centers on three distinct material classes. First, boron carbide (B4C) and related carbide ceramics are studied for their mechanical strength, microstructure, and use in neutron detection and shielding. Second, magnesium diboride (MgB2) is developed as a superconductor, with a focus on critical current density, wire fabrication, and plasma sintering methods. Third, borophene and boron clusters are explored for their electronic structure, topological properties, and potential in energy storage, sensing, and catalysis. Common methodologies include density functional theory, Monte Carlo simulations, magnetron sputtering, and spark plasma sintering.
Boron research accounts for the largest share of this community's output, representing 5.6% of all tracked boron research and comprising 7,901 papers. Magnesium research follows with 1,618 papers, constituting 1.1% of magnesium research, while lanthanum contributes 889 papers, or 2.3% of lanthanum research.
The community comprises 14,435 papers, published primarily in Ceramics International, Journal of Applied Physics, and IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity.
Recent work focuses on the synthesis of bilayer borophene, the development of nanostructured MgB2 cryo-magnets with high critical currents, and the application of borophene in hydrogen evolution reactions and biomedical sensing.