Editing Boron (section)

===Enriched boron (boron-10)===
[[File:Neutroncrosssectionboron.png|class=skin-invert-image|right|upright=1.5|thumb|Neutron cross section of boron (top curve is for <sup>10</sup>B and bottom curve for <sup>11</sup>B)]]
The <sup>10</sup>B isotope is useful for capturing [[thermal neutron]]s (see [[neutron cross section#Typical cross sections]]). The [[nuclear power|nuclear industry]] enriches natural boron to nearly pure <sup>10</sup>B. The less-valuable by-product, depleted boron, is nearly pure <sup>11</sup>B.<ref name="Hawthorne-1993">{{Cite journal |last=Hawthorne |first=M. Frederick |date=July 1993 |title=The Role of Chemistry in the Development of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy of Cancer |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.199309501 |journal=Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English |language= |volume=32 |issue=7 |pages=950–984 |doi=10.1002/anie.199309501 |issn=0570-0833}}</ref>

Enriched boron or <sup>10</sup>B is used in both radiation shielding and is the primary nuclide used in [[neutron capture therapy of cancer]]. In the latter ("boron neutron capture therapy" or BNCT), a compound containing <sup>10</sup>B is incorporated into a pharmaceutical which is selectively taken up by a malignant tumor and tissues near it. The patient is then treated with a beam of low energy neutrons at a relatively low neutron radiation dose. The neutrons, however, trigger energetic and short-range secondary [[alpha particle]] and lithium-7 heavy ion radiation that are products of the boron-neutron [[nuclear reaction]], and this ion radiation additionally bombards the tumor, especially from inside the tumor cells.<ref>{{Cite journal|title =A Critical Assessment of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy: An Overview|journal = Journal of Neuro-Oncology|volume = 62|issue = 1|date = 2003|doi = 10.1023/A:1023262817500|pages = 1–5|first = Rolf F.|last = Barth|pmid = 12749698|s2cid = 31441665}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|journal = Radiation Research|pages = 1–18|volume =151| issue =1|date = 1999|title =The Radiation Biology of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy|first1 = Jeffrey A.|last1 = Coderre|doi = 10.2307/3579742|pmid = 9973079|last2 = Morris|first2 = G. M.|jstor = 3579742|bibcode = 1999RadR..151....1C}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title = Boron Neutron Capture Therapy of Cancer|first =Rolf F.|last =Barth|journal = Cancer Research|volume = 50|pages = 1061–1070|date=1990|pmid = 2404588|issue = 4|author2 = S|author3 = F}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pharmainfo.net/reviews/boron-neutron-capture-therapy-overview |title=Boron Neutron Capture Therapy – An Overview |publisher=Pharmainfo.net |date=22 August 2006 |access-date=7 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723014243/http://www.pharmainfo.net/reviews/boron-neutron-capture-therapy-overview |archive-date=23 July 2011}}</ref>

In nuclear reactors, <sup>10</sup>B is used for reactivity control and in [[scram|emergency shutdown systems]]. It can serve either function in the form of [[borosilicate]] [[control rods]] or as [[boric acid]]. In [[pressurized water reactor]]s, <sup>10</sup>B [[boric acid]] is added to the reactor coolant after the plant is shut down for refueling. When the plant is started up again, the boric acid is slowly filtered out over many months as [[fissile]] material is used up and the fuel becomes less reactive.<ref name="reactor">{{Cite book |last1=Duderstadt |first1=James J. |last2=Hamilton |first2=Louis J.| title=Nuclear Reactor Analysis |url=https://archive.org/details/nuclearreactoran00dude |url-access=limited |publisher=Wiley-Interscience |date=1976 |page=[https://archive.org/details/nuclearreactoran00dude/page/n267 245] |isbn=978-0-471-22363-4}}</ref>

<!-- crap sources on kiddie scienceIn future crewed interplanetary spacecraft, <sup>10</sup>B has a theoretical role as structural material (as boron fibers or [[boron nitride nanotube|BN nanotube]] material) which would also serve a special role in the radiation shield. One of the difficulties in dealing with [[cosmic rays]], which are mostly high energy protons, is that some secondary radiation from interaction of cosmic rays and spacecraft materials is high energy [[spallation]] neutrons. Such neutrons can be moderated by materials high in light elements, such as [[polyethylene]], but the moderated neutrons continue to be a radiation hazard unless actively absorbed in the shielding. Among light elements that absorb thermal neutrons, <sup>6</sup>Li and <sup>10</sup>B appear as potential spacecraft structural materials which serve both for mechanical reinforcement and radiation protection.<ref>{{cite journal| author=Yu, J.| title=Isotopically Enriched 10BN Nanotubes| journal=Advanced Materials| volume=18| date=2006| url=http://www.rsphysse.anu.edu.au/nanotube/pdf/B10Nnanotubes.pdf| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080803192520/http://www.rsphysse.anu.edu.au/nanotube/pdf/B10Nnanotubes.pdf| archive-date=3 August 2008| doi=10.1002/adma.200600231| pages=2157–2160| last2=Chen| first2=Y.| last3=Elliman| first3=R. G.| last4=Petravic| first4=M.| issue=16| bibcode=2006AdM....18.2157Y| s2cid=135710601}}</ref>

===Depleted boron (boron-11)===

not an app, just another paper or two by academics:
Hexagonal [[boron nitride]] forms atomically thin layers, which have been used to enhance the [[electron mobility]] in [[graphene]] devices.<ref>{{Cite journal |first1 = C. R. |last1 = Dean |first2 = A. F. |last2 = Young |first3 = I. |last3 = Meric |first4 = C. |last4 = Lee |first5 = L. |last5 = Wang |first6 = S. |last6 = Sorgenfrei |first7 = K. |last7 = Watanabe |first8 = T. |last8 = Taniguchi |first9 = P. |last9 = Kim |first10 = K. L. |last10 = Shepard |first11 = J. |last11 = Hone |title=Boron nitride substrates for high-quality graphene electronics|date=2010|journal=Nature Nanotechnology|volume=5|issue=10|pages=722–726|doi=10.1038/nnano.2010.172|bibcode=2010NatNa...5..722D|pmid=20729834|arxiv=1005.4917|s2cid = 1493242
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|journal = Applied Physics Letters|volume = 98 |date = 2010|doi = 10.1063/1.3599708|title = Boron nitride substrates for high mobility chemical vapor deposited graphene|first1 = W.|last1 = Gannett|first2 = W.|last2 = Regan| first3 = K.| last3 = Watanabe|first4 = T.|last4 = Taniguchi|first5 = M. F.| last5 = Crommie|first6 = A.|last6 = Zettl |author6-link=Alex Zettl| page = 242105|issue = 24|bibcode = 2011ApPhL..98x2105G|arxiv = 1105.4938 |s2cid = 94765088 }}</ref> It also forms nanotubular structures ([[boron nitride#Boron nitride nanotubes|BNNTs]]), which have high strength, high chemical stability, and high [[thermal conductivity]], among its list of desirable properties.<ref>{{Cite journal|journal = Physics Today|volume = 63 |date = 2010|doi = 10.1063/1.3518210|title = The physics of boron nitride nanotubes|first1 = Alex|last1 = Zettl|last2 = Cohen|first2 = Marvin|s2cid = 19773801 |pages = 34–38|issue = 11|bibcode = 2010PhT....63k..34C}}</ref>-->