LAUSR

Boron carbide is a promising super-hard semiconducting material for refractory applications ranging from the nuclear industry to spacecraft. The present work is the first report of not only turning futile soot, containing carbon allotropes in varying composition, into boron-rich boron carbide (BC), but also developing it by a low-cost, low-temperature, and green synthesis method. The BC synthesised from gingelly oil soot is subjected to structural, morphological, and optical characterisations. The field emission scanning electron microscope shows beautiful flower-like morphology, and the thermogravimetric analysis reveals the high-temperature stability of the sample synthesised. The Tauc plot of the sample indicates a 2.38 eV direct bandgap. The formation of BC and boron-rich carbide evidenced by X-ray diffraction studies is confirmed through Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic signatures of B–C and C–B–C bonds. The fluorescence, power spectrum, and CIE analyses carried out suggest the blue light emission for excitation at 350 nm.