Boron nitride colloidal solutions, ultralight aerogels and freestanding membranes through one-step exfoliation and functionalization

Highly compressible and anisotropic lamellar ceramic sponges with superior thermal insulation and acoustic absorption performances

Advanced ceramic sponge materials with temperature-invariant high compressibility are urgently needed as thermal insulators, energy absorbers, catalyst carriers, and high temperature air filters. However, the application of ceramic sponge materials is severely limited due to their complex preparation process. Here, we present a facile method for large-scale fabrication of highly compressible, temperature resistant SiO₂-Al₂O₃ composite ceramic sponges by blow spinning and subsequent calcination. We successfully produce anisotropic lamellar ceramic sponges with numerous stacked microfiber layers and density as low as 10 mg cm^-3. The anisotropic lamellar ceramic sponges exhibit high compression fatigue resistance, strain-independent zero Poisson's ratio, robust fire resistance, temperature-invariant compression resilience from -196 to 1000 °C, and excellent thermal insulation with a thermal conductivity as low as 0.034 W m^-1 K^-1. In addition, the lamellar structure also endows the ceramic sponges with excellent sound absorption properties, representing a promising alternative to existing thermal insulation and acoustic absorption materials.

Exfoliation of 2D Materials for Energy and Environmental Applications

The fascinating properties of single-layer graphene isolated by mechanical exfoliation have inspired extensive research efforts toward two-dimensional (2D) materials. Layered compounds serve as precursors for atomically thin 2D materials (briefly, 2D nanomaterials) owing to their strong intraplane chemical bonding but weak interplane van der Waals interactions. There are newly emerging 2D materials beyond graphene, and it is becoming increasingly important to develop cost-effective, scalable methods for producing 2D nanomaterials with controlled microstructures and properties. The variety of developed synthetic techniques can be categorized into two classes: bottom-up and top-down approaches. Of top-down approaches, the exfoliation of bulk 2D materials into single or few layers is the most common. This review highlights chemical and physical exfoliation methods that allow for the production of 2D nanomaterials in large quantities. In addition, remarkable examples of utilizing exfoliated 2D nanomaterials in energy and environmental applications are introduced.

Development of Stable Boron Nitride Nanotube and Hexagonal Boron Nitride Dispersions for Electrophoretic Deposition

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) represent a relatively new class of materials that provides alternative electrical and thermal properties to the carbon analogue. The high chemical and thermal stability and large band gap combined with high electrical resistance make BNNTs desirable in several thin-film applications. In this study, stable BNNT and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) particle dispersions have been developed using environmentally friendly advanced oxidation processing (AOP) that can be further modified for electrophoretic deposition (EPD) to produce thin films. The characterization of the dispersions has revealed how the hydroxyl radicals produced in AOP react with BNNT/hBN and contaminant boron nanoparticles (BNPs). While the radicals remove the carbon contaminant present on BNNT/hBN and increase dispersion stability, they also oxidize the BNPs and the boron oxide produced, which, conversely, reduces the dispersion stability. The use of high- or low-powered ultrasonication in combination with the AOP affects the rate of the competing reactions, with low-powered sonication and AOP providing the best combination for producing stable dispersions with high concentrations. BNNT/hBN dispersions were functionalized with polyethyleneimine to facilitate EPD, where films of several micrometer thickness were readily deposited onto stainless steel and glass-fiber fabrics. BNNT/hBN films produced on glass fabrics by EPD exhibited a consistent through-thickness macroporosity that was facilitated by platelet and nanotube stacking. The film macroporosity present on the coated fabrics was suitable for use as separator layers in supercapacitors and provided improved device robustness with a minimal impact on electrochemical performance.

Conversionless efficient and broadband laser light diffusers for high brightness illumination applications

Laser diodes are efficient light sources. However, state-of-the-art laser diode-based lighting systems rely on light-converting inorganic phosphor materials, which strongly limit the efficiency and lifetime, as well as achievable light output due to energy losses, saturation, thermal degradation, and low irradiance levels. Here, we demonstrate a macroscopically expanded, three-dimensional diffuser composed of interconnected hollow hexagonal boron nitride microtubes with nanoscopic wall-thickness, acting as an artificial solid fog, capable of withstanding ~10 times the irradiance level of remote phosphors. In contrast to phosphors, no light conversion is required as the diffuser relies solely on strong broadband (full visible range) lossless multiple light scattering events, enabled by a highly porous (>99.99%) non-absorbing nanoarchitecture, resulting in efficiencies of ~98%. This can unleash the potential of lasers for high-brightness lighting applications, such as automotive headlights, projection technology or lighting for large spaces.

Dual Bio-Inspired Design of Highly Thermally Conductive and Superhydrophobic Nanocellulose Composite Films

Highly thermally conductive, electrically insulating, and flexible nanocellulose composite films are crucially significant for the thermal management of next-generation green electronics. However, the intrinsic hygroscopicity of nanocellulose poses a daunting challenge to the reliability and structural stability of electronic products. To address these issues, herein, a dual bio-inspired design was innovatively introduced to fabricate highly thermally conductive and superhydrophobic nanocellulose-based composite films via vacuum-assisted self-assembly of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and hydroxylated boron nitride nanosheets (OH-BNNS) and subsequent hydrophobic modification. Driven by the highly orderly hierarchical architecture and a strong hydrogen bonding interaction, the laminated CNF-based composite films with 50 wt % OH-BNNS show a high in-plane thermal conductivity (15.13 W/mK), which results in a 505% enhancement compared with the pure CNF films. On the other hand, the rough surface combined with a low surface energy modifier endows CNF/OH-BNNS composite films with unique superhydrophobicity (contact angle over 155°) and a simultaneous self-cleaning function. Furthermore, the as-fabricated multifunctional CNF/OH-BNNS composite films were designed as a flexible printed circuit board to simulate the potential applications in the field of cooling electronic devices. The development of CNF/OH-BNNS composite films with synergetic properties of high thermal conductivity and superhydrophobicity may shed light on the functional thermal management materials and offer an innovative insight toward fabricating multifunctional nanocomposites via a dual bio-inspired design.

Emerging 2D Materials Produced via Electrochemistry

2D materials are important building blocks for the upcoming generation of nanostructured electronics and multifunctional devices due to their distinct chemical and physical characteristics. To this end, large-scale production of 2D materials with high purity or with specific functionalities represents a key to advancing fundamental studies as well as industrial applications. Among the state-of-the-art synthetic protocols, electrochemical exfoliation of layered materials is a very promising approach that offers high yield, great efficiency, low cost, simple instrumentation, and excellent up-scalability. Remarkably, playing with electrochemical parameters not only enables tunable material properties but also increases the material diversities from graphene to a wide spectrum of 2D semiconductors. Here, a succinct and critical survey of the recent progress in this research direction is presented, comprising the strategic design, exfoliation principles, underlying mechanisms, processing techniques, and potential applications of 2D materials. At the end of the discussion, the emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities in real practice are also highlighted.

Novel Functionalized BN Nanosheets/Epoxy Composites with Advanced Thermal Conductivity and Mechanical Properties

The effective dissipation of heat is critical to the performance and longevity of high-power electronics, so it is important to prepare highly thermally conductive polymer-based packaging materials for efficient thermal management. Due to the excellent thermal conductivity of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs), the hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) powder was dissolved in a mixed solution of isopropanol and deionized water for ultrasonic exfoliation to obtain hydroxylated BN nanosheets. Then, the prepared BNNS was functionalized with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) to enhance its dispersibility and interfacial compatibility in the epoxy resin, which play an important role in the improvement of the thermal conductivity of the composites. Finally, APTES-BNNS was uniformly dispersed in the epoxy resin by solvent mixing, and the oriented APTES-BNNS/epoxy composites were prepared through spin-coating and hot-pressing methods. It was found that APTES-BNNS/epoxy composites prepared herein exhibited significant anisotropic thermal conductivity. The results show that the thermal conductivity of APTES-BNNS/epoxy composites reached 5.86 W/mK at a filler content of 40 wt % and these composites have favorable thermal stability and mechanical properties. The APTES-BNNS/epoxy composite prepared in this paper has excellent thermal management capability and can be applied to the packaging of high-power electronic devices.

Boron nitride aerogels consisting of varied superstructures

As a porous material with a nanoscale skeleton, aerogel serves as a bridge between the nano- and macro-world. The integration of nanostructures into aerogels not only allows the combination of multidimensional features but also implies the possibility of unexpected properties. With great potential in many fields, boron nitride (BN) nanostructures have garnered growing attention and their existence in the aerogel state holds even more promise. However, the existing fabrication routes in the aerogel field, despite their validity and effectiveness, provide no panacea and are challenged by those incompatible with the current preparation toolbox, among which BN stands out. Herein, a multilevel assembly scheme is demonstrated for the elegant fabrication of BN aerogels consisting of varied superstructures, i.e., nanoribbons composed of tiny nanocrystals and nest-like structures tangled by nanofibers, the realization of which via the traditional molecular route or the classic assembly route is rather difficult. Interestingly, the resultant aerogels were found to exhibit great contrast in their hydrophilicity, which could be attributed to the microstructure difference. This study may raise the prospects of BN in energy, environment, bio-applications, etc. It may also give inspirations for the incorporation of other complex structures into aerogels.

A low temperature pyrolytic route to amorphous quasi-hexagonal boron nitride from hydrogen rich (NH4)3Mg(BH4)5

Pure amorphous quasi-hexagonal boron nitride with minute amounts of amorphous quasi-cubic form was obtained via thermal decomposition of a novel tri-ammonium magnesium penta-borohydride precursor, (NH4)3Mg(BH4)5, in the temperature range of 220-250 °C, which is significantly lower than 1000-1500 °C applied in industrial approaches. The (NH4)3Mg(BH4)5 precursor, the most hydrogen rich mixed-cation borohydride salt known to date (21 wt% H), was prepared via low temperature high-energy dry disc-milling. The compound adopts a tetragonal I4/mcm unit cell isostructural with Rb3Mg(BH4)5 and Cs3Mg(BH4)5. The multi-step thermal decomposition yields hydrogen contaminated with B2H6 and borazine volatiles. The solid residue rinsed with water corresponds to amorphous boron nitride of high purity as evidenced by 11B MAS NMR, PXRD, FTIR and EDX analyses.

Sandwich-structured poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) composite film containing a boron nitride nanosheet interlayer

High performance dielectric polymer materials are a key point for energy storage capacitors, especially film capacitors. In this paper, a sandwich-structured polymer film is constructed to achieve high energy density and high efficiency. High dielectric materials of poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (P(VDF-HFP)) doped with barium titanate (BaTiO₃) are used as the outer layer to achieve a high dielectric constant, and a boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS) layer is inserted between P(VDF-HFP)/BaTiO₃ to obtain a high breakdown field strength of composite films. The results indicate that when the doping amount of the BaTiO₃ nanoparticles reaches 10 wt% and the mass fraction of the BNNS layer is 0.75 wt%, a significant improvement of energy storage performance is obtained. The energy storage density of the P(VDF-HFP)/BaTiO₃/BNNSs composite film can reach 8.37 J cm⁻³, which is higher than 6.65 J cm⁻³ of the pure P(VDF-HFP) film. Compared with the P(VDF-HFP) film doped with BaTiO₃, significant improvement of the breakdown field strength (about 148.5%) is achieved and the energy storage density increases 235% accordingly, resulting from the inserted BNNSs layer blocking the growth of electrical branches and suppressing leakage current. This novel sandwich-structured film shows promising future applications for high performance dielectric capacitors.

A novel composite material formed by adding high dielectric inorganic ceramic particles and BNNSs interlayer into a sandwich-structured film.

Improved photoremoval performance of boron carbon nitride–pyromellitic dianhydride composite toward tetracycline and Cr(vi) by itself to change the solution pH

A series of boron carbon nitride–pyromellitic dianhydride (BCNPA) composites were successfully synthesized for the first time, where BCNPA3 exhibited the best adsorption and photodegradation performances for tetracycline (TC) under visible-light irradiation.

Polar crystalline phases of PVDF induced by interaction with functionalized boron nitride nanosheets

The PVDF/OH-BNNS nanocomposites mainly form a non-polar phase, while polar crystalline phases are the majority in the PVDF/NH₂-BNNS nanocomposites.

A boron nitride nanosheet-supported Pt/Cu cluster as a high-efficiency catalyst for propane dehydrogenation

Here, we report a great promotion in platinum utilization efficiency and catalytic performance for the dehydrogenation of propane using a hexagonal boron nitride nanosheet-supported Pt/Cu cluster catalyst.

A universal strategy for high-yield producing water compatible boron nitride nanosheets

Boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) have shown great potential in thermal management applications owing to their high thermal conductivity, electrical insulation, and chemical stability.

Highly Adhesive Li-BN Nanosheet Composite Anode with Excellent Interfacial Compatibility for Solid-State Li Metal Batteries

Solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSLMBs) are promising energy storage devices by employing lithium metal anodes and solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) to offer high energy density and high safety. However, their efficiency is limited by Li metal/SSE interface barriers, including insufficient contact area and chemical/electrochemical incompatibility. Herein, a strategy to effectively improve the adhesiveness of Li metal to garnet-type SSE is proposed by adding only a few two-dimensional boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) (5 wt %) into Li metal by triggering the transition from point contact to complete adhesion between Li metal and ceramic SSE. The interface between the Li-BNNS composite anode and the garnet exhibits a low interfacial resistance of 9 Ω cm², which is significantly lower than that of bare Li/garnet interface (560 Ω cm²). Furthermore, the enhanced contact and the additional BNNS in the interface act synergistically to offer a high critical current density of 1.5 mA/cm² and a stable electrochemical plating/striping over 380 h. Moreover, the full cell paired with the Li-BNNS composite anode and the LiFePO₄ cathode shows stable cycling performance at room temperature. Our results introduce an appealing composite strategy with two-dimensional materials to overcome the interface challenges, which provide more opportunities for the development of SSLMBs.

Cu2+-Modified Boron Nitride Nanosheets-Supported Subnanometer Gold Nanoparticles: An Oxidase-Mimicking Nanoenzyme with Unexpected Oxidation Properties

In recent years, inorganic biomimetic nanozymes that mimic the activity of natural biological enzymes have attracted extensive research interest, and some mimic enzymes have been successfully applied in the fields of biosensing, catalysis, and oncotherapy. Herein, we report the preparation and mechanism study of a novel nanocomposite, Cu²⁺-modified hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets-supported subnanometer gold nanoparticles (Au NPs/Cu²⁺-BNNS). Interestingly, our investigation reveals that Cu²⁺-BNNS exhibits strong peroxidase mimetic nanoenzyme activity, while Au NPs/Cu²⁺-BNNS exhibits excellent oxidase-like activity, that is, it can catalyze the oxidation reaction of the substrate in the absence of an oxidant such as H₂O₂. For example, Au NPs/Cu²⁺-BNNS can efficiently and selectively oxidize 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and 3,3'-dimethylbiphenyl-4,4'-diamine (OT) coloration without the presence of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and H₂O₂. It is worthy to note that AuNPs/Cu²⁺-BNNS-induced TMB coloration only takes 4 min to reach the platform, while the conventional HRP-H₂O₂ system takes more than 30 min to reach the platform. Further mechanism study shows that the zeta potential, oxidation potential, and steric hindrance of the oxidative chromogenic substrate determine the selectivity of oxidation coloration, while the oxidase-like properties of Au NPs/Cu²⁺-BNNS are derived from reactive oxygen species generated by the adsorbed oxygen, and Cu²⁺ ion can synergistically promote the oxidation process. Compared with conventional biological enzymes, Au NPs/Cu²⁺-BNNS has the advantages of being HRP free and H₂O₂ free, having high efficiency, low cost, and good stability, and is successfully demonstrated for the detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (a universal cancer biomarker) and H₂S (the third gaseous signal molecule).

Synthesis, Functionalization, and Bioapplications of Two-Dimensional Boron Nitride Nanomaterials

Two-dimensional boron nitride nanostructures (2D-BNNs) have been increasingly investigated for their applications in several scientific and technological areas. This considerable interest is due to their unique physicochemical properties, which include high hydrophobicity, heat and electrical insulation, resistance to oxidation, antioxidation capacity, thermal conductivity, high chemical stability, mechanical strength, and hydrogen storage capacity. They are also used as fillers, antibacterial agents, protective coating agents, lubricants, boron neutron capture therapy agents, nanocarriers for drug delivery, and for the receptor phase in chemosensors. The investigations for their use in medicine and biomedicine are very promising, including cancer therapy and wound healing. In this review, 2D-BNNs synthesis and their surface modification strategies, biocompatibility, and bioapplication studies are discussed. Finally, a perspective for the future use of these novel nanomaterials in the biomedical field is provided.

2D Nanosheets and Their Composite Membranes for Water, Gas, and Ion Separation

Two-dimensional nanosheets have shown great potential for separation applications because of their exceptional molecular transport properties. Nanosheet materials such as graphene oxides, metal-organic frameworks, and covalent organic frameworks display unique, precise, and fast molecular transport through nanopores and/or nanochannels. However, the dimensional instability of nanosheets in harsh environments diminishes the membrane performance and hinders their long-term operation in various applications such as gas separation, water desalination, and ion separation. Recent progress in nanosheet membranes has included modification by crosslinking and functionalization that has improved the stability of the membranes, their separation functionality, and the scalability of membrane formation while the membranes' excellent molecular transport properties are retained. These improvements have enhanced the potential of nanosheet membranes in practical applications such as separation processes.

Biomolecular Material Recognition in Two Dimensions: Peptide Binding to Graphene, h-BN, and MoS2 Nanosheets as Unique Bioconjugates

Two-dimensional nanosheet-based materials such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, and MoS₂ represent intriguing structures for a variety of biological applications ranging from biosensing to nanomedicine. Recent advances have demonstrated that peptides can be identified with affinity for these three materials, thus generating a highly unique bioconjugate interfacial system. This Review focuses on recent advances in the formation of bioconjugates of these types, paying particular attention to the structure/function relationship of the peptide overlayer. This is achieved through the amino acid composition of the nanosheet binding peptides, thus allowing for precise control over the properties of the final materials. Such bioconjugate systems offer rapid advances via direct property control that remain difficult to achieve for biological applications using nonbiological approaches.

Mass production of 2D materials by intermediate-assisted grinding exfoliation

The scalable and high-efficiency production of 2D materials is a prerequisite to their commercial use. Currently, only graphene and graphene oxide can be produced on a ton scale, and the inability to produce other 2D materials on such a large scale hinders their technological applications. Here we report a grinding exfoliation method that uses micro-particles as force intermediates to resolve applied compressive forces into a multitude of small shear forces, inducing the highly efficient exfoliation of layer materials. The method, referred to as intermediate-assisted grinding exfoliation (iMAGE), can be used for the large-scale production of many 2D materials. As an example, we have exfoliated bulk h-BN into 2D h-BN with large flake sizes, high quality and structural integrity, with a high exfoliation yield of 67%, a high production rate of 0.3 g h⁻¹ and a low energy consumption of 3.01 × 10⁶ J g⁻¹. The production rate and energy consumption are one to two orders of magnitude better than previous results. Besides h-BN, this iMAGE technology has been used to exfoliate various layer materials such as graphite, black phosphorus, transition metal dichalcogenides, and metal oxides, proving its universality. Molybdenite concentrate, a natural low-cost and abundant mineral, was used as a demo for the large-scale exfoliation production of 2D MoS₂ flakes. Our work indicates the huge potential of the iMAGE method to produce large amounts of various 2D materials, which paves the way for their commercial application.

Poly(l-lactic acid)/Boron Nitride Nanocomposites: Influence of Boron Nitride Functionalization on the Properties of Poly(l-lactic acid)

Differently functionalized boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) [hydroxyl (OH_BNNSs), amine (NH₂_BNNSs), and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) (PEG_BNNSs)] were synthesized, and their effects on the structure and thermal properties of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) along with those of the pristine BNNSs were studied. Highly dispersed nanocomposites were prepared using PLLA and 0.5 wt % of pristine/functionalized BNNSs via a solvent blending method. Homogeneous dispersion of BNNSs in the polymer matrix was confirmed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Pristine BNNSs and OH_BNNSs accelerated the crystallization of PLLA as effective nucleating agents and favored the formation of the α form in melt-crystallized samples. On the other hand, NH₂_BNNSs and PEG_BNNSs incorporated samples result in the moderate crystallization rate of PLLA and lead to the formation of a mixture of α and α' forms similar to the PLLA. It is also found that thermal stability and thermal conductivity of PLLA nanocomposites significantly depend on the type of functionalization of BNNSs. At 0.5 wt % loading, the thermal conductivity enhancement is maximum for PEG_BNNSs incorporated PLLA (∼62%), and that is only 9% for pristine BNNSs incorporated PLLA. The thermal stability of PLLA nanocomposites was significantly improved by 32-41 °C depending on the type of functionalized BNNSs compared to PLLA. It is proposed that the strong interaction between functionalized BNNSs and PLLA matrix is responsible for the improved thermal management properties.

High-Quality Boron Nitride Nanosheets and Their Bioinspired Thermally Conductive Papers

Hexagonal boron nitride has displayed increased potential in heat dissipation applications due to its desirable high thermal conductivity and remarkable thermal stability. However, the large-yield and high-quality preparation of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) has been still an enormous challenge. In present work, we developed a universal exfoliation strategy to synthesize few-layer and defect-free BNNSs, which involved the intercalation of hexafluorosilicates/sodium hydroxide into BN crystals followed by exfoliation through a mild stirring process. The yield and concentration of as-obtained BNNS reached up to 78.5% and 12.78 mg/mL, respectively. More importantly, this method has been proven to exfoliate other layered materials like graphene (G), MoS₂, and WS₂. These as-obtained BNNSs can be directly used for constructing freestanding papers with high thermal conductivities. Typically, the thermal conductivities of the BNNS-G hybrid paper were up to 63.5 W/mK along the in-plane direction and 7.4 W/mK along the through-plane direction. According to the thermal interface materials performance measures, BNNS-G hybrid paper shows great promising applications for heat transfer in integrated circuit packaging.

Rational Design of Ultrathin Gas Barrier Layer via Reconstruction of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanoflakes to Enhance the Chemical Stability of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has great potential as a promising gas barrier layer in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) as it shows high proton conductivity as well as excellent gas-blocking capability. However, structural defects and mechanical damage during the transfer of the hBN layer and membrane swelling have limited the application of hBN sheets to PEMFCs. Here, an ultrathin gas barrier layer is successfully fabricated on a proton exchange membrane via reconstruction of mechanically exfoliated hBN nanoflakes using a direct spin-coating process. The hBN-coated layer effectively suppresses the gas crossover and inhibits the formation of reactive oxygen radicals in the electrodes without reducing the proton conductivity of the membrane. It is also demonstrated that the structural advantages of hBN-coated gas barrier layers promise high performance of a unit cell even after a open-circuit voltage (OCV) hold test for 100 h. Furthermore, through in-depth postmortem analyses, a time-dependent degradation mechanism of membrane electrode assembly under the OCV condition is rationally proposed.

Facile Solution Processing of Stable MXene Dispersions towards Conductive Composite Fibers

2D transition metal carbides and nitrides called "MXene" are recent exciting additions to the 2D nanomaterials family. The high electrical conductivity, specific capacitance, and hydrophilic nature of MXenes rival many other 2D nanosheets and have made MXenes excellent candidates for diverse applications including energy storage, electromagnetic shielding, water purification, and photocatalysis. However, MXene nanosheets degrade relatively quickly in the presence of water and oxygen, imposing great processing challenges for various applications. Here, a facile solvent exchange (SE) processing route is introduced to produce nonoxidized and highly delaminated Ti3C2T x MXene dispersions. A wide range of organic solvents including methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, butanol, acetone, dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, chloroform, dichloromethane, toluene, and n-hexane is used. Compared to known processing approaches, the SE approach is straightforward, sonication-free, and highly versatile as multiple solvent transfers can be carried out in sequence to yield MXene in a wide range of solvents. Conductive MXene polymer composite fibers are achieved by using MXene processed via the solvent exchange (SE) approach, while the traditional redispersion approach has proven ineffective for fiber processing. This study offers a new processing route for the development of novel MXene-based architectures, devices, and applications.

A Critical Review on Energy Conversion and Environmental Remediation of Photocatalysts with Remodeling Crystal Lattice, Surface, and Interface

Solar energy is a renewable resource that can supply our energy needs in the long term. A semiconductor photocatalysis that is capable of utilizing solar energy has appealed to considerable interests for recent decades, owing to the ability to aim at environmental problems and produce renewal energy. Much effort has been put into the synthesis of a highly efficient semiconductor photocatalyst to promote its real application potential. Hence, we reviewed the most advanced methods and strategies in terms of (i) broadening the light absorption wavelengths, (ii) design of active reaction sites, and (iii) control of the electron-hole (e^--h⁺) recombination, while these three processes could be influenced by remodeling the crystal lattice, surface, and interface. Additionally, we individually examined their current applications in energy conversion (i.e., hydrogen evolution, CO₂ reduction, nitrogen fixation, and oriented synthesis) and environmental remediation (i.e., air purification and wastewater treatment). Overall, in this review, we particularly focused on advanced photocatalytic activity with simultaneous wastewater decontamination and energy conversion and further enriched the mechanism by proposing the electron flow and substance conversion. Finally, this review offers the prospects of semiconductor photocatalysts in the following three vital (distinct) aspects: (i) the large-scale preparation of highly efficient photocatalysts, (ii) the development of sustainable photocatalysis systems, and (iii) the optimization of the photocatalytic process for practical application.

Catalyst Proximity-Induced Functionalization of h-BN with Quat Derivatives

Inert single-layer boron nitride (h-BN) grown on a catalytic metal may be functionalized with quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) that are widely used as nonreactive electrolytes. We observe that the quat treatment, which facilitates the electrochemical transfer of two-dimensional materials, involves a decomposition of quat ions and leads to covalently bound quat derivatives on top of the 2D layer. Applying tetraoctylammonium and h-BN on rhodium, the reaction product is top-alkylized h-BN as identified with high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The alkyl chains are homogeneously distributed across the surface, and the properties thereof are well-tunable by the choice of different quats. The functionalization further weakens the 2D material-substrate interaction and promotes easy transfer. Therefore, the functionalization scheme that is presented enables the design of 2D materials with tailored properties and with the freedom to position and orient them as required. The mechanism of this functionalization route is investigated with density functional theory calculations, and we identify the proximity of the catalytic metal substrate to alter the chemical reactivity of otherwise inert h-BN layers.

Millefeuille-Inspired Thermally Conductive Polymer Nanocomposites with Overlapping BN Nanosheets for Thermal Management Applications

Increasing power density makes modern electronic devices and power equipment generate excess heat, which greatly restricts the applications of polymeric materials because of their poor thermal conductivity. In the present work, inspired by the structure and production process of millefeuille cakes, we show that electrostatic spraying of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) onto electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers can produce highly thermally conductive, electrically insulating, flexible, and lightweight nanocomposites via a scalable method of building a multilayer PVA/BNNS nanonetwork structure. The PVA/BNNS nanocomposites exhibit an ultrahigh in-plane thermal conductivity of 21.4 W/(m·K) at 22.2 vol % BNNS addition, realized by an orientated BNNS network structure with overlapping interconnections. The BNNS networks exhibit low thermal resistance and interfacial heat scattering between BNNSs. Moreover, for heat dissipation applications, the nanocomposites with an overlapping BNNS network show higher efficiency in dissipating hot spots than randomly dispersed BNNS or directly hot-pressed BNNS composites. These PVA/BNNS nanocomposites can be used as high-performance lateral heat spreaders in next-generation thermal management systems.

Ultrafast, Stable Ionic and Molecular Sieving through Functionalized Boron Nitride Membranes

Porous membranes play an important role in the separation technologies such as gas purification, solute nanofiltration, and desalination. An ideal membrane should be thin to maximize permeation speed, have optimum pore sizes to maximize selectivity, and be stable in various harsh conditions. Here, we show that the nanometer-thick membrane prepared by means of filtration of functionalized boron nitride (FBN) water suspensions can block solutes with hydrated radii larger than 4.3 Å in water. The FBN membranes with abundant nanochannels reduce the path length of ions. As molecular sieves, the FBN membrane can permeate small ions at an ultrahigh rate-a 25-fold enhancement compared with that of its theoretical diffusion rate and much higher than the graphene oxide membrane. Importantly, the FBN membrane exhibits excellent permeability even when it is immersed in acidic, alkaline, and basic salts solutions because of its intrinsic chemical stability. The molecular dynamics simulations further confirmed that the nanocapillaries formed within the FBN membrane in the hydrated state were responsible for high permeation performance. The simple vacuum filtration fabricated FBN membrane with angstrom-sized channels and ultrafast permeation of ions promises great potential applications in the areas of barrier separation and water purification.

MoS2 Membranes for Organic Solvent Nanofiltration: Stability and Structural Control

This paper reveals the chemical, structural, and separation stability of stacked molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) membranes and establishes a low-cost and facile approach to developing stable, selective membranes for efficient molecular separation in an organic solvent. MoS₂ nanoflakes that were dominant  by monolayer MoS₂ sheets as prepared via direct chemical exfoliation (chem-MoS₂) were found to be chemically and structurally instable, with a sharp decrease in the level of solute rejection within a few days. Few-layer MoS₂ nanoflakes were then fabricated using a hydrothermal method (hydro-MoS₂). A "supportive" drying process involving glycerol pretreatment and drying in an oven was established to allow realignment of nanoflakes and adjustment of interflake spacing. We have shown that the hydro-MoS₂ membranes provide a mean interflake free spacing of ∼1 nm, which is ideal for the separation of a model solute (Rose Bengal, size of ∼1.45 nm) from the solvent isopropanol (size of 0.58 nm) with good long-term stability over a 7 day test.

Fabrication and Enhanced Thermal Conductivity of Boron Nitride and Polyarylene Ether Nitrile Hybrids

Excellent thermal resistance and thermal conductivity are preconditions of materials to be used at elevated temperatures. Herein, boron nitride and polyarylene ether nitrile hybrids (PEN-g-BN) with excellent thermal resistance and thermal conductivity are fabricated. Phthalonitrile-modified BN (BN-CN) is prepared by reacting hydroxylated BN with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and 3-aminophxylphthalonitrile (3-APN), and then characterized by FT-IR, UV-Vis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The obtained BN-CN is introduced to a phthalonitrile end-capped PEN (PEN-Ph) matrix to prepare BN-CN/PEN composites. After curing at 340 °C for 4 h, PEN-g-BN hybrids are fabricated by a self-crosslinking reaction of cyano groups (-CN) from BN-CN and PEN-Ph. The fabricated PEN-g-BN hybrids are confirmed through FT-IR, UV-Vis, SEM and gel content measurements. The PEN-g-BN hybrids demonstrate excellent thermal resistance with their glass transition temperature (T_g) and decomposition temperatures (T_d) being higher than 235 °C and 530 °C, respectively. Additionally, the thermal conductivity of the prepared PEN-g-BN hybrids is up to 0.74 W/(m·k), intensifying competitiveness of PEN-g-BN hybrids for applications at elevated temperatures.

Developing boron nitride-pyromellitic dianhydride composite for removal of aromatic pollutants from wastewater via adsorption and photodegradation

A series of boron nitride-pyromellitic dianhydride composites have been successfully synthesized by calcinating the mixtures of boron nitride (BN) and pyromellitic dianhydride (PA) at 350 °C, in which the composite (BNPA2) has the largest adsorption quantity (65.1 mg/g) for rhodamine B (RhB) and the best photo-removal efficiency for RhB under visible light irradiation. ¹H NMR characterizations for BN, PA and BNPA2 suggest that this composite is formed via the reaction between the OH groups in BN and PA. BNPA2 can also adsorb neutral red (NR), methyl orange (MO), tetracycline (TC) and atrazine (AT). NR and MO can be photo-removed by BNPA2 under visible light irradiation. Colorless TC and AT can also be degraded by BNPA2 under visible light irradiation, suggesting that BNPA2 is visible light responsible photocatalyst. BNPA2 has the highest photo-removal efficiency for the cationic RhB and NR, followed by the anionic MO. This is from that BNPA2 has negative surface. When anionic MO mixes with cationic RhB (or NR) together, BNPA2 prefers to remove cationic RhB (or NR) from the mixture solution under visible light irradiation and the removal efficiency of anionic MO by BNPA2 is also increased. Thus, electrostatic interactions between dyes and BNPA2 as well as between dyes play significant role in the removal process. •O^2- makes a main contribution for this photo-removal of these aromatic pollutants (dyes, TC and AT) by BNPA2 under visible light irradiation. Furthermore, the removal performance of BNPA2 for RhB, TC and AT can be effectively regenerated by visible light irradiation.

Lightweight, Superelastic Yet Thermoconductive Boron Nitride Nanocomposite Aerogel for Thermal Energy Regulation

Conventional three-dimensional (3D) thermal conductors or heat sinks are normally bulky solids with high density, which is cumbersome and not portable to satisfy current demands for soft and flexible electronic devices. To address this issue, here, a lightweight, superelastic yet thermally conductive boron nitride (BN) nanocomposite aerogel is designed by a facile freeze-drying method. The attained aerogel constituting of tailored interconnected binary inorganic-organic network structure exhibits low bulk density (6.5 mg cm^-3) and outstanding mechanical performances for compression, clotting, and stretching. Meanwhile, the aerogel has promising thermal stability and high thermal conductivity over wide temperature ranges (30-300 °C), validating the application even in extremely hot environments. Moreover, the aerogel can serve as a lightweight and elastic heat conductor for the enhancement of thermal energy harvest. Interestingly, during alternate strain loading/unloading under heating, the superelasticity and the anisotropy of thermal conductive transduction make the aerogel enable the elastic thermal energy capture and dynamic regulation. Therefore, our findings provide a potential use for the thermally conductive aerogel in future green energy applications.

Construction of a continuously layered structure of h-BN nanosheets in the liquid phase via sonication-induced gelation to achieve low friction and wear

Herein, to endow h-BN nanosheets with gelling ability, a diurea compound was decorated on the h-BN nanosheets via designed adsorption and in situ reaction processes. The prepared h-BN-based gelator, BTO, exhibited excellent dispersibility in non-polar liquid media, and the gelation of BTO dispersions could be readily triggered by ultrasonic treatments. The sol-gel transformation of the system was found to be highly reversible by stirring and sonication. Based on the investigation on the self-assembly behavior of BTO nanosheets in the liquid phase, it was proposed that a continuous and layered structure formed by BTO during sonication was the key factor for the gelling properties of these nanosheets. The viscoelasticity of the sonication-induced gel was studied using a rheometer. Tribological evaluations show that the prepared h-BN nanogel exhibits outstanding lubricating performances, and more importantly, it has been proved that the gel state of the h-BN nanosheets provides superior and more reliable lubricating performances than the corresponding dispersion state under certain conditions; this can be ascribed to the formation of a continuous and uniform structure of modified h-BN nanosheets during gelation. Thus, this study not only clarifies the key role of the assembly structure in the tribological performances of 2D nanomaterials, but also demonstrates the potential of gelation in improving the macroscopic friction reduction and wear resistance of 2D nanomaterials.

Boron nitride: a promising material for proton exchange membranes for energy applications

Boron nitride (BN) is an exciting material and has drawn the attention of researchers for the last decade due to its surprising properties, including large surface area, thermomechanical stability, and high chemical resistance. Functionalization of BN is a new area of interest to build up novel properties and applications of BN. BN and functionalized BN are promising membrane materials and show enormous advantages ascribed to their simple synthesis, high surface area, mechanical and thermal stability, and distinctive mechanical properties. BN-based proton exchange membranes show improvement in their physicochemical, electrochemical, thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties. Only a few research studies have been carried out on BN-based highly stable proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for various electrochemical applications. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in the functionalization of BN by different methods. The synthesis of different proton exchange membranes has also been discussed in this article. In addition, the potential applications of hybrid proton exchange membranes have also been mentioned.

Construction of a Nanoporous Highly Crystalline Hexagonal Boron Nitride from an Amorphous Precursor for Catalytic Dehydrogenation

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is regarded as a graphene analogue and exhibits important characteristics and vast application potentials. However, discovering a facile method for the preparation of nanoporous crystalline h-BN nanosheets (h-BNNS) is still a challenge. Herein, a novel and simple route for the conversion of amorphous h-BN precursors into highly crystalline h-BNNS was achieved through a successive dissolution-precipitation/crystallization process in the presence of magnesium. The h-BNNS has high crystallinity, high porosity with a surface area of 347 m²  g^-1 , high purity, and enhanced thermal stability. Improved catalytic performance of crystalline h-BNNS was evidenced by its much higher catalytic efficiency in the dehydrogenation of dodecahydro-N-ethylcarbazole, compared with its amorphous h-BN precursor, as well as other precious-metal-loaded heterogeneous catalysts.