Advances in 2D boron nitride nanostructures: nanosheets, nanoribbons, nanomeshes, and hybrids with graphene

Evolution of Moiré Profiles from van der Waals Superstructures of Boron Nitride Nanosheets

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) superstructures, or vdW solids, are formed by the precise restacking of 2D nanosheet lattices, which can lead to unique physical and electronic properties that are not available in the parent nanosheets. Moiré patterns formed by the crystalline mismatch between adjacent nanosheets are the most direct features for vdW superstructures under microscopic imaging. In this article, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation of hexagonal Moiré patterns with unusually large micrometer-sized lateral areas (up to ~1 μm²) and periodicities (up to ~50 nm) from restacking of liquid exfoliated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) is reported. This observation was attributed to the long range crystallinity and the contaminant-free surfaces of these chemically inert nanosheets. Parallel-line-like Moiré fringes with similarly large periodicities were also observed. The simulations and experiments unambiguously revealed that the hexagonal patterns and the parallel fringes originated from the same rotationally mismatched vdW stacking of BNNSs and can be inter-converted by simply tilting the TEM specimen following designated directions. This finding may pave the way for further structural decoding of other 2D vdW superstructure systems with more complex Moiré images.

Conceptual design of tetraazaporphyrin- and subtetraazaporphyrin-based functional nanocarbon materials: electronic structures, topologies, optical properties, and methane storage capacities

A large variety of conceptual three- and fourfold tetraazaporphyrin- and subtetraazaporphyrin-based functional 3D nanocage and nanobarrel structures have been proposed on the basis of in silico design. The designed structures differ in their sizes, topology, porosity, and conjugation properties. The stability of nanocages of Oh symmetry and nanobarrels of D4h symmetry was revealed on the basis of DFT and MD calculations, whereas their optical properties were assessed using a TDDFT approach and a long-range corrected LC-wPBE exchange-correlation functional. It was shown that the electronic structures and vertical excitation energies of the functional nanocage and nanobarrel structures could be easily tuned via their size, topology, and the presence of bridging sp(3) carbon atoms. TDDFT calculations suggest significantly lower excitation energies in fully conjugated nanocages and nanobarrels compared with systems with bridging sp(3) carbon fragments. Based on DFT and TDDFT calculations, the optical properties of the new materials can rival those of known quantum dots and are superior to those of monomeric phthalocyanines and their analogues. The methane gas adsorption properties of the new nanostructures and nanotubes generated by conversion from nanobarrels were studied using an MD simulation approach. The ability to store large quantities of methane (106-216 cm(3) (STP) cm(-3)) was observed in all cases with several compounds being close to or exceeding the DOE target of 180 cm(3) (STP) cm(-3) for material-based methane storage at a pressure of 3.5 MPa and room temperature.

Transport properties through hexagonal boron nitride clusters embedded in graphene nanoribbons

First-principles calculations are employed in the study of the electronic and quantum transport properties of hexagonally shaped boron nitride (h-BN) clusters embedded in either zigzag or armchair graphene nanoribbons. Chemical doping of the h-BN cluster was taken into consideration by using carbon atoms to replace either the boron (B27N24C3) or the nitrogen (B27N24C3) sites in the central ring. While the quantum conductance of the system with zigzag edges is found to be spin-dependent, it was observed that the system with an armchair edge requires an electron imbalance in order to show a spin-dependent conductance. Furthermore, the possibility of molecular adsorption onto these doped systems is studied. The effects of the attached molecules to the quantum conductance shows the potential of these hybrid systems for molecular sensing applications.

Two-dimensional B-C-O alloys: a promising class of 2D materials for electronic devices

Graphene, a superior 2D material with high carrier mobility, has limited application in electronic devices due to zero band gap. In this regard, boron and nitrogen atoms have been integrated into the graphene lattice to fabricate 2D semiconducting heterostructures. It is an intriguing question whether oxygen can, as a replacement of nitrogen, enter the sp2 honeycomb lattice and form stable B-C-O monolayer structures. Here we explore the atomic structures, energetic and thermodynamic stability, and electronic properties of various 2D B-C-O alloys using first-principles calculations. Our results show that oxygen can be stably incorporated into the graphene lattice by bonding with boron. The B and O species favor forming alternate patterns into the chain- or ring-like structures embedded in the pristine graphene regions. These B-C-O hybrid sheets can be either metals or semiconductors depending on the B : O ratio. The semiconducting (B2O)nCm and (B6O3)nCm phases exist under the B- and O-rich conditions, and possess a tunable band gap of 1.0-3.8 eV and high carrier mobility, retaining ∼1000 cm2 V(-1) s(-1) even for half coverage of B and O atoms. These B-C-O alloys form a new class of 2D materials that are promising candidates for high-speed electronic devices.

Local charge states in hexagonal boron nitride with Stone-Wales defects

A Stone-Wales (SW) defect is the simplest topological defect in graphene-like materials and can be potentially employed to design electronic devices . In this paper, we have systematically investigated the formation, structural, and electronic properties of the neutral and charged SW defects in hexagonal boron nitride (BN) using first-principles calculations. The transition states and energy barrier for the formation of SW defects demonstrate that the defected BN is stable. Our calculations show that there are two in-gap defect levels, which originate from the asymmetrical pentagon-heptagon pairs. The local defect configurations and electronic properties are sensitive to their charge states induced by the defect levels. The electronic band structures show that the negative and positive charged defects are mainly determined by shifting the conduction band minimum (CBM) and valence band maximum (VBM) respectively, and the SW-defected BN can realize -1 and +1 spin-polarized charge states. The effects of carbon (C) substitution on neutral and charged SW-defected BN have also been studied. Our results indicate that the C substitution of B in BN is in favour of the formation of SW defects. Structural and electronic calculations show rich charge-dependent properties of C substitutions in SW-defected BN, thus our theoretical study is important for various applications in the design of BN nanostructure-based devices.

High-Yield Production of Boron Nitride Nanosheets and Its Uses as a Catalyst Support for Hydrogenation of Nitroaromatics

Single- or few-layered h-BN nanosheets (BNNSs) are analogous to graphene and possess unique properties. However, their technological applications were severely hindered by the low production efficiency of BNNSs. We reported here a study in which BNNSs were efficiently produced by exfoliating bulk h-BN powder in thionyl chloride without using any dispersion agents. The BNNSs yield was as high as 20%, and it could be doubled through the second round of exfoliation of the h-BN precipitate. Microscopic results revealed that the BNNSs generally consisted of 3-20 layers. Pd nanoparticles were successfully immobilized and uniformly distributed on BNNS surfaces through the deposition-precipitation method. The resultant Pd-BNNS catalyst exhibited high catalytic activity and recyclability for the hydrogenation of nitro aromatics, demonstrating that BNNSs served as a promising platform to fabricate heterogeneous catalysts.

Enhancement in thermal conductivity and mechanical properties via large-scale fabrication of boron nitride nanosheets

In this study, a facial method of fabricating hexagonal boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS) was proposed. Isopropyl alcohol was employed as the solvent to obtain the BNNS via exfoliation of the pristine hexagonal boron nitride. The yield of the exfoliated BNNS with thickness less than 20 nm was as high as 0.17–0.2 mg mL−1. The BN- and BNNS-filled polyamide 6 (PA6) composites were subsequently prepared by melt blending, and a comparison of thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of the resultant composites were demonstrated. Results indicated that the PA6/BNNS composites showed superior mechanical and thermal conductive properties when compared with that of neat PA6 and PA6/BN composites. At a filler-loading fraction of 40 wt%, thermal conductivity of the PA6/BNNS composite reached 2.496 W mK−1, which was 21.8% higher than that of PA6/BN composites at the same filler-loading concentration. In addition, the tensile strength of PA6/BNNS composites was invariably higher than that of neat PA6, with a 6.23% increment at a filler concentration of 30 wt%. Based on the results of differential scanning calorimetry, a new crystallization peak ( TCC, 2) was observed at higher temperature region for the filler-containing composites and the position of the new peak gradually shifted to higher temperatures with an incremental loading concentration of BN and BNNS.

Half-oxidized phosphorene: band gap and elastic properties modulation

Based on a first principles approach, we study structural, electronic and elastic properties, as well as stabilities of all possible half-oxidized phosphorene conformers. Stability analysis reveals that oxygen chemisorption is an exothermic process in the six configurations despite the formation of interstitial oxygen bridges in three of them. Electronic structure calculations show that oxidation induces a band gap modulation ranging between 0.54 and 1.57 eV in the generalized gradient approximation corrected to 1.19 and 2.88 eV using GW. The mechanical response of the conformers is sensitively dependent on direction and indicates that the new derivatives are incompressible materials and one configuration has an auxetic behavior. The present results provide a basis for tailoring the electronic and elastic properties of phosphorene via half oxidation.

Recent Developments in Graphene-Based Membranes: Structure, Mass-Transport Mechanism and Potential Applications

Significant achievements have been made on the development of next-generation filtration and separation membranes using graphene materials, as graphene-based membranes can afford numerous novel mass-transport properties that are not possible in state-of-art commercial membranes, making them promising in areas such as membrane separation, water desalination, proton conductors, energy storage and conversion, etc. The latest developments on understanding mass transport through graphene-based membranes, including perfect graphene lattice, nanoporous graphene and graphene oxide membranes are reviewed here in relation to their potential applications. A summary and outlook is further provided on the opportunities and challenges in this arising field. The aspects discussed may enable researchers to better understand the mass-transport mechanism and to optimize the synthesis of graphene-based membranes toward large-scale production for a wide range of applications.

Ultrasensitive electrochemical immunoassay for surface array protein, a Bacillus anthracis biomarker using Au-Pd nanocrystals loaded on boron-nitride nanosheets as catalytic labels

Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is a well known bioterrorism agent. The determination of surface array protein (Sap), a unique biomarker for B. anthracis can offer an opportunity for specific detection of B. anthracis in culture broth. In this study, we designed a new catalytic bionanolabel and fabricated a novel electrochemical immunosensor for ultrasensitive detection of B. anthracis Sap antigen. Bimetallic gold-palladium nanoparticles were in-situ grown on poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) functionalized boron nitride nanosheets (Au-Pd NPs@BNNSs) and conjugated with the mouse anti-B. anthracis Sap antibodies (Ab2); named Au-Pd NPs@BNNSs/Ab2. The resulting Au-Pd NPs@BNNSs/Ab2 bionanolabel demonstrated high catalytic activity towards reduction of 4-nitrophenol. The sensitivity of the electrochemical immunosensor along with redox cycling of 4-aminophenol to 4-quinoneimine was improved to a great extent. Under optimal conditions, the proposed immunosensor exhibited a wide working range from 5 pg/mL to 100 ng/mL with a minimum detection limit of 1 pg/mL B. anthracis Sap antigen. The practical applicability of the immunosensor was demonstrated by specific detection of Sap secreted by the B. anthracis in culture broth just after 1h of growth. These labels open a new direction for the ultrasensitive detection of different biological warfare agents and their markers in different matrices.

Evolution of Irradiation-Induced Vacancy Defects in Boron Nitride Nanotubes

Irradiation-induced vacancy defects in multiwalled (MW) boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are investigated via in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscope operated at 80 kV, with a homogeneous distribution of electron beam intensity. During the irradiation triangle-shaped vacancy defects are gradually generated in MW BNNTs under a mediate electron current density (30 A cm(-2)), by knocking the B atoms out. The vacancy defects grow along a well-defined direction within a wall at the early stage as a result of the curvature induced lattice strain, and then develop wall by wall. The orientation or the growth direction of the vacancy defects can be used to identify the chirality of an individual wall. With increasing electron current density, the shape of the irradiation-induced vacancy defects changes from regular triangle to irregular polygon.

Controlling Catalyst Bulk Reservoir Effects for Monolayer Hexagonal Boron Nitride CVD

Highly controlled Fe-catalyzed growth of monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) films is demonstrated by the dissolution of nitrogen into the catalyst bulk via NH3 exposure prior to the actual growth step. This "pre-filling" of the catalyst bulk reservoir allows us to control and limit the uptake of B and N species during borazine exposure and thereby to control the incubation time and h-BN growth kinetics while also limiting the contribution of uncontrolled precipitation-driven h-BN growth during cooling. Using in situ X-ray diffraction and in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy combined with systematic growth calibrations, we develop an understanding and framework for engineering the catalyst bulk reservoir to optimize the growth process, which is also relevant to other 2D materials and their heterostructures.

High-Concentration Aqueous Dispersions of Nanoscale 2D Materials Using Nonionic, Biocompatible Block Copolymers

Conditions for the dispersion of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) in aqueous solution at concentrations up to 0.12 mg mL(-1) using a range of nonionic, biocompatible block copolymers (i.e., Pluronics and Tetronics) are identified. Furthermore, the optimal Pluronic dispersant for MoS2 is found to be effective for a range of other 2D materials such as molybdenum diselenide, tungsten diselenide, tungsten disulfide, tin selenide, and boron nitride.

Defect engineering route to boron nitride quantum dots and edge-hydroxylated functionalization for bio-imaging

A defect engineering method was developed using physical energy sources to synthesize boron nitride quantum dots (BNQDs) for bioimaging applications.

Boron nitride ceramics from molecular precursors: synthesis, properties and applications

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) attracts considerable interest particularly when it is prepared from borazine-based single-source precursors through chemical routes suitable for the shaping and the nanostructuration of the final ceramic.

A quantum chemistry study of curvature effects on boron nitride nanotubes/nanosheets for gas adsorption

Various boron nitride sheets interacting with noble gases, oxygen, and water on both sides of the surface were studied using high level DFT.

Efficient dispersant-free liquid exfoliation down to the graphene-like state of solvent-free mechanochemically delaminated bulk hexagonal boron nitride

Efficient dispersant-free liquid exfoliation down to the graphene-like state of solvent-free mechanochemically delaminated bulk hexagonal boron nitride was shown.

h-BN nanosheets as simple and effective additives to largely enhance the activity of Au/TiO2 plasmonic photocatalysts

Au/TiO₂ plasmonic photocatalysts showed largely enhanced activity for the oxidation of formic acid in water into CO₂ when simply mixed with h-BN nanosheets, as a result of electron transfer from photoexcited Au/TiO₂ to the additive to retard charge recombination.

A template-free solvent-mediated synthesis of high surface area boron nitride nanosheets for aerobic oxidative desulfurization

Hexagonal BN nanosheets with high surface area are developed via methanol-mediated synthesis, presenting outstanding catalytic performance in aerobic oxidative desulfurization.

Possibility of spin-polarized transport in edge fluorinated armchair boron nitride nanoribbons

Calculated DOS for edge-fluorinated. ABNNRs; featuring half-metallicity.

A simple and controllable graphene-templated approach to synthesise 2D silica-based nanomaterials using water-in-oil microemulsions

Mechanism of growing silica film on GO surface in water/BnOH biphase systems.

Facile one-step and high-yield synthesis of few-layered and hierarchically porous boron nitride nanosheets

Few-layered and hierarchically porous BNNSs high and tuneable H₂ uptakes were prepared via a facile simultaneous etching and in situ nitridation method, in which metallic hexaboride (e.g., CaB₆) and ammonium chloride were employed as raw materials.

Manipulating the magnetic moment in phosphorene by lanthanide atom doping: a first-principle study

Doping Ln atom can manipulate the magnetic moment in phosphorene in the range from 1 μ_Bto 7 μ_B, which could be a next-generation candidates of potential dilute magnetic semiconductor.

Boron nitride@graphene oxide hybrids for epoxy composites with enhanced thermal conductivity

Boron nitride/graphene oxide hybrids prepared by an electrostatic self-assembly strategy were used as fillers for epoxy composites with high thermal conductivity.

In silico rational design of ionic liquids for the exfoliation and dispersion of boron nitride nanosheets

A requirement for exploiting most of the unique properties of boron-nitride (BN) nanosheets is their isolation from the bulk material.

Computational study of the structure, UV-vis absorption spectra and conductivity of biphenylene-based polymers and their boron nitride analogues

We calculated electronic and spectral properties of the 1D and 2D carbon and boron nitride materials composed of four-, six- and eight-membered rings by the DFT approach, including the band structure analysis.

Controllable synthesis of few-layered and hierarchically porous boron nitride nanosheets

Few-layered porous boron nitride nanosheets prepared using MgB₂ as a dynamic template show good CO₂ adsorption selectivity.

Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications: Emerging Trends and Future Prospects

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials are ultrathin nanomaterials with a high degree of anisotropy and chemical functionality. Research on 2D nanomaterials is still in its infancy, with the majority of research focusing on elucidating unique material characteristics and few reports focusing on biomedical applications of 2D nanomaterials. Nevertheless, recent rapid advances in 2D nanomaterials have raised important and exciting questions about their interactions with biological moieties. 2D nanoparticles such as carbon-based 2D materials, silicate clays, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and transition metal oxides (TMOs) provide enhanced physical, chemical, and biological functionality owing to their uniform shapes, high surface-to-volume ratios, and surface charge. Here, we focus on state-of-the-art biomedical applications of 2D nanomaterials as well as recent developments that are shaping this emerging field. Specifically, we describe the unique characteristics that make 2D nanoparticles so valuable, as well as the biocompatibility framework that has been investigated so far. Finally, to both capture the growing trend of 2D nanomaterials for biomedical applications and to identify promising new research directions, we provide a critical evaluation of potential applications of recently developed 2D nanomaterials.

Edge-Hydroxylated Boron Nitride Nanosheets as an Effective Additive to Improve the Thermal Response of Hydrogels

Upon flowing hot steam over hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) bulk powder, efficient exfoliation and hydroxylation of BN occur simultaneously. Through effective hydrogen bonding with water and N-isopropylacrylamide, edge-hydroxylated BN nanosheets dramatically improve the dimensional change and dye release of this temperature-sensitive hydrogel and thereby enhance its efficacy in bionic, soft robotic, and drug-delivery applications.

High-efficiency exfoliation of layered materials into 2D nanosheets in switchable CO2/Surfactant/H2O system

Layered materials present attractive and important properties due to their two-dimensional (2D) structure, allowing potential applications including electronics, optoelectronics, and catalysis. However, fully exploiting the outstanding properties will require a method for their efficient exfoliation. Here we present that a series of layered materials can be successfully exfoliated into single- and few-layer nanosheets using the driving forces coming from the phase inversion, i.e., from micelles to reverse micelles in the emulsion microenvironment built by supercritical carbon dioxide (SC CO2). The effect of variable experimental parameters including CO2 pressure, ethanol/water ratio, and initial concentration of bulk materials on the exfoliation yield have been investigated. Moreover, we demonstrate that the exfoliated 2D nanosheets have their worthwhile applications, for example, graphene can be used to prepare conductive paper, MoS2 can be used as fluorescent label to perform cellular labelling, and BN can effectively reinforce polymers leading to the promising mechanical properties.

Variations in Crystalline Structures and Electrical Properties of Single Crystalline Boron Nitride Nanosheets

We report the studies of (1) the basic mechanism underlying the formation of defect-free, single crystalline boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) synthesized using pulsed laser plasma deposition (PLPD) technique, (2) the variation in the crystalline structure at the edges of the hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheets, and (3) the basic electrical properties related to the BNNSs tunneling effect and electrical breakdown voltage. The nanoscale morphologies of BNNSs are characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The results show that each sample consisted of a number of transparent BNNSs that partially overlapped one another. Varying the deposition duration yielded different thicknesses of sample but did not affect the morphology, structure, and thickness of individual BNNSs pieces. Analysis of the SEM and HRTEM data revealed changes in the spatial period of the B₃–N₃ hexagonal structures and the interlayer distance at the edge of the BNNSs, which occurred due to the limited number of atomic layers and was confirmed further by x-ray diffraction (XRD) study. The experimental results clearly indicate that the values of the electrical conductivities of the super-thin BNNSs and the effect of temperature relied strongly on the direction of observation.

Solution-Processed Dielectrics Based on Thickness-Sorted Two-Dimensional Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanosheets

Gate dielectrics directly affect the mobility, hysteresis, power consumption, and other critical device metrics in high-performance nanoelectronics. With atomically flat and dangling bond-free surfaces, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) has emerged as an ideal dielectric for graphene and related two-dimensional semiconductors. While high-quality, atomically thin h-BN has been realized via micromechanical cleavage and chemical vapor deposition, existing liquid exfoliation methods lack sufficient control over h-BN thickness and large-area film quality, thus limiting its use in solution-processed electronics. Here, we employ isopycnic density gradient ultracentrifugation for the preparation of monodisperse, thickness-sorted h-BN inks, which are subsequently layer-by-layer assembled into ultrathin dielectrics with low leakage currents of 3 × 10(-9) A/cm(2) at 2 MV/cm and high capacitances of 245 nF/cm(2). The resulting solution-processed h-BN dielectric films enable the fabrication of graphene field-effect transistors with negligible hysteresis and high mobilities up to 7100 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) at room temperature. These h-BN inks can also be used as coatings on conventional dielectrics to minimize the effects of underlying traps, resulting in improvements in overall device performance. Overall, this approach for producing and assembling h-BN dielectric inks holds significant promise for translating the superlative performance of two-dimensional heterostructure devices to large-area, solution-processed nanoelectronics.

Oxidative Etching of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Toward Nanosheets with Defined Edges and Holes

Lateral surface etching of two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets results in holey 2D nanosheets that have abundant edge atoms. Recent reports on holey graphene showed that holey 2D nanosheets can outperform their intact counterparts in many potential applications such as energy storage, catalysis, sensing, transistors, and molecular transport/separation. From both fundamental and application perspectives, it is desirable to obtain holey 2D nanosheets with defined hole morphology and hole edge structures. This remains a great challenge for graphene and is little explored for other 2D nanomaterials. Here, a facile, controllable, and scalable method is reported to carve geometrically defined pit/hole shapes and edges on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) basal plane surfaces via oxidative etching in air using silver nanoparticles as catalysts. The etched h-BN was further purified and exfoliated into nanosheets that inherited the hole/edge structural motifs and, under certain conditions, possess altered optical bandgap properties likely induced by the enriched zigzag edge atoms. This method opens up an exciting approach to further explore the physical and chemical properties of hole- and edge-enriched boron nitride and other 2D nanosheets, paving the way toward applications that can take advantage of their unique structures and performance characteristics.

Graphene-like two-dimensional layered nanomaterials: applications in biosensors and nanomedicine

The development of nanotechnology provides promising opportunities for various important applications. The recent discovery of atomically-thick two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials can offer manifold perspectives to construct versatile devices with high-performance to satisfy multiple requirements. Many studies directed at graphene have stimulated renewed interest on graphene-like 2D layered nanomaterials (GLNs). GLNs including boron nitride nanosheets, graphitic-carbon nitride nanosheets and transition metal dichalcogenides (e.g. MoS2 and WS2) have attracted significant interest in numerous research fields from physics and chemistry to biology and engineering, which has led to numerous interdisciplinary advances in nano science. Benefiting from the unique physical and chemical properties (e.g. strong mechanical strength, high surface area, unparalleled thermal conductivity, remarkable biocompatibility and ease of functionalization), these 2D layered nanomaterials have shown great potential in biochemistry and biomedicine. This review summarizes recent advances of GLNs in applications of biosensors and nanomedicine, including electrochemical biosensors, optical biosensors, bioimaging, drug delivery and cancer therapy. Current challenges and future perspectives in these rapidly developing areas are also outlined. It is expected that they will have great practical foundation in biomedical applications with future efforts.

A Thermally Conductive Separator for Stable Li Metal Anodes

Li metal anodes have attracted considerable research interest due to their low redox potential (-3.04 V vs standard hydrogen electrode) and high theoretical gravimetric capacity of 3861 mAh/g. Battery technologies using Li metal anodes have shown much higher energy density than current Li-ion batteries (LIBs) such as Li-O2 and Li-S systems. However, issues related to dendritic Li formation and low Coulombic efficiency have prevented the use of Li metal anode technology in many practical applications. In this paper, a thermally conductive separator coated with boron-nitride (BN) nanosheets has been developed to improve the stability of the Li metal anodes. It is found that using the BN-coated separator in a conventional organic carbonate-based electrolyte results in the Coulombic efficiency stabilizing at 92% over 100 cycles at a current rate of 0.5 mA/cm(2) and 88% at 1.0 mA/cm(2). The improved Coulombic efficiency and reliability of the Li metal anodes is due to the more homogeneous thermal distribution resulting from the thermally conductive BN coating and to the smaller surface area of initial Li deposition.

Nitroarene reduction: a trusted model reaction to test nanoparticle catalysts

Nitrophenol reduction to aminophenol with a reducing agent is conveniently carried out in aqueous medium mainly with a metal or metal oxide catalyst. This reduction is presently considered as a benchmark reaction to test a catalyst nanoparticle. Thousands of original reports have enriched this field of nanoparticle catalyzed reaction. Synthesis of different metal and metal oxide nanoparticles and their composites along with their role as catalysts for nitrophenol reduction with varying reducing agents have been elucidated here. The progress of the reaction is conveniently monitored by UV-visible spectrophotometry and hence it becomes a universally accepted model reaction. In this review we have discussed the reaction kinetics considering its elegance and importance enlightening the long known Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism and Eley-Rideal mechanism at length, along with a few other mechanisms recently reported. A brief description of the synthetic procedures of various nanoparticles and their respective catalytic behaviour towards nitroarene reduction has also been accounted here.

PMMA functionalized boron nitride sheets as nanofillers

We report the functionalization of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) with polymer chains. These chains are grown by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) from hBN following thermal treatment. When used as a nanofiller, the material shows improved dispersion resulting in significantly improved toughness as compared to pristine hBN without polymer functionalization. The polymer functionalized BN is also characterized by TGA, FTIR and FESEM.

Artificial nacre-like papers based on noncovalent functionalized boron nitride nanosheets with excellent mechanical and thermally conductive properties

Inspired by the nano/microscale hierarchical structure and the precise inorganic/organic interface of natural nacre, we fabricated artificial nacre-like papers based on noncovalent functionalized boron nitride nanosheets (NF-BNNSs) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) via a vacuum-assisted self-assembly technique. The artificial nacre-like papers exhibit excellent tensile strength (125.2 MPa), on a par with that of the natural nacre, and moreover display a 30% higher toughness (2.37 MJ m(-3)) than that of the natural nacre. These excellent mechanical properties result from an ordered 'brick-and-mortar' arrangement of NF-BNNSs and PVA, in which the long-chain PVA molecules act as the bridge to link NF-BNNSs via hydrogen bonds. The resulting papers also render high thermal conductivity (6.9 W m(-1) K(-1)), and reveal their superiority as flexible substrates to support light-emitting-diode chips. The combined mechanical and thermal properties make the materials highly desirable as flexible substrates for next-generation commercial portable electronics.

Fabrication of highly oriented hexagonal boron nitride nanosheet/elastomer nanocomposites with high thermal conductivity

A homogeneous dispersion of hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) in elastomers is obtained by solution compounding methods, and a high orientation of BNNSs is achieved by strong shearing. The composites show high thermal conductivities, especially when BNNS loading exceeds 17.5 vol%, indicating that the material is promising for thermal-management applications which need high thermal conductivity, low dielectric constant, and adequate softness.

Bioinspired modification of h-BN for high thermal conductive composite films with aligned structure

With the development of microelectronic technology, the demand of insulating electronic encapsulation materials with high thermal conductivity is ever growing and much attractive. Surface modification of chemical inert h-BN is yet a distressing issue which hinders its applications in thermal conductive composites. Here, dopamine chemistry has been used to achieve the facile surface modification of h-BN microplatelets by forming a polydopamine (PDA) shell on its surface. The successful and effective preparation of h-BN@PDA microplatelets has been confirmed by SEM, EDS, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, and TGA investigations. The PDA coating increases the dispersibility of the filler and enhances its interaction with PVA matrix as well. Based on the combination of surface modification and doctor blading, composite films with aligned h-BN@PDA are fabricated. The oriented fillers result in much higher in-plane thermal conductivities than the films with disordered structures produced by casting or using the pristine h-BN. The thermal conductivity is as high as 5.4 W m(-1) K(-1) at 10 vol % h-BN@PDA loading. The procedure is eco-friendly, easy handling, and suitable for the practical application in large scale.

Boron nitride nanosheets as barrier enhancing fillers in melt processed composites

In this work we have used melt-processing to mix liquid-exfoliated boron-nitride nanosheets with PET to produce composites for gas barrier applications. Sonication of h-BN powder, followed by centrifugation-based size-selection, was used to prepare suspensions of nanosheets with aspect ratio >1000. The solvent was removed to give a weakly aggregated powder which could easily be mixed into PET, giving a composite containing well-dispersed nanosheets. These composites showed very good barrier performance with oxygen permeability reductions of 42% by adding just 0.017 vol% nanosheets. At low loading levels the composites were almost completely transparent. At higher loading levels, while some haze was introduced, the permeability fell by ∼70% on addition of 3 vol% nanosheets.

Nucleation control for large, single crystalline domains of monolayer hexagonal boron nitride via Si-doped Fe catalysts

The scalable chemical vapor deposition of monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) single crystals, with lateral dimensions of ∼0.3 mm, and of continuous h-BN monolayer films with large domain sizes (>25 μm) is demonstrated via an admixture of Si to Fe catalyst films. A simple thin-film Fe/SiO2/Si catalyst system is used to show that controlled Si diffusion into the Fe catalyst allows exclusive nucleation of monolayer h-BN with very low nucleation densities upon exposure to undiluted borazine. Our systematic in situ and ex situ characterization of this catalyst system establishes a basis for further rational catalyst design for compound 2D materials.

Direction-controlled chemical doping for reversible G-phonon mixing in ABC trilayer graphene

Not only the apparent atomic arrangement but the charge distribution also defines the crystalline symmetry that dictates the electronic and vibrational structures. In this work, we report reversible and direction-controlled chemical doping that modifies the inversion symmetry of AB-bilayer and ABC-trilayer graphene. For the "top-down" and "bottom-up" hole injection into graphene sheets, we employed molecular adsorption of electronegative I2 and annealing-induced interfacial hole doping, respectively. The chemical breakdown of the inversion symmetry led to the mixing of the G phonons, Raman active Eg and Raman-inactive Eu modes, which was manifested as the two split G peaks, G(-) and G(+). The broken inversion symmetry could be recovered by removing the hole dopants by simple rinsing or interfacial molecular replacement. Alternatively, the symmetry could be regained by double-side charge injection, which eliminated G(-) and formed an additional peak, G(o), originating from the barely doped interior layer. Chemical modification of crystalline symmetry as demonstrated in the current study can be applied to other low dimensional crystals in tuning their various material properties.