Boron containing nanoparticles and their contribution to the theory and production of new materials

The nanosized CoxByHz particles synthesized by the two ('tea' and 'antigrav ity') methods based on borohydride reduction process have been subjected to additional compositional study in this work. For the particles obtained by 'antigravity' method, the estimated Co/B ratio is around 1.5, which may be due to the substitution of one boron by one hydrogen atom, considering its position as a nearest neighbor atom into cobalt atom surrounding. The comp ositional studies of particles in respect to boron and hydrogen content sta nd by such assumption. We suggest the hypothesis that the presence of two s tates of B 1s electron (as well as of C 1s, N 1s or O 1s) is responsible to the appearance of an amorphous structure in all materials produced and app lied as amorphous materials. We suggest the hypothesis the nanocrystalline particles obtained by the 'antigravity' method, containing only 'odd' eleme nts, posses predetermined on a quantum level unusual properties. (C) 1999 A cta Metallurgica Inc.