RESUMO
B4C nanobelts were synthesized in porous SiC bodies, which had a sponge structure. The interconnected pore size of the SiC bodies was around 600 microm. The raw materials used for the B4C nanobelts were B2O3 for boron and phenolic resin and carbon black for carbon. The nanobelts grew fully inside the porous SiC when heat treated at 1400 degrees C for 1 h using LiCl as a volatilizing agent and cobalt as a catalyst. The thickness of the rhombohedral B4C nanobelts ranged from 0.1 to 1 microm, and their width was 0.5 to 10 microm. The length of the grown B4C belts was up to several hundreds of micrometers, and their growth direction was [110]. These single crystal nanobelts did not show any structural defects such as stacking faults, steps and twins. The low temperature synthesis in this study is attributed for the clean surface. It is suggested that the nanobelts were nucleated by the VLS mechanism, and then grew by the VS mechanism.