Boron Nitride Nanostructures

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 September 2018) | Viewed by 44441

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Guest Editor
Institut Europeen des Membranes UMR5635, Montpellier, France
Interests: porous boron nitride; atomic layer deposition; silicoboron carbonitride monoliths; nanosheets; nanotubes; nanocapsules; molecular and polymeric precursor

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Guest Editor
European Institute of Membranes (IEM), University of Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
Interests: atomic layer deposition; photocatalysis; electrospinning; nanomaterials; sensors; thin films
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Boron nitride (BN) is a III−V material, well known for its outstanding physico-chemical properties, such high chemical and thermal stabilities and unique electronic and optical properties. In the past few decades, Boron Nitride nanostructures, such as nanosheets, nanotubes, porous material, nanocapsules, etc., have attracted a great deal of interest because of their potential applications in functional devices.

The research topic of this Special Issue will consider: (i) the design of nanostructured boron nitride nanostructures with controlled crystal structure, porosity and dimensionality, (ii) functionalization of boron nitride, and (iii) prospective applications of boron nitride nanostructures and materials.

Multi-disciplinary studies, as well as strategies dealing with the conversion of precursors into functional nanostructured boron nitride, will be particularly welcome.

Prof. Dr. Philippe Miele
Prof. Dr. Mikhael Bechelany
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • nanosheets
  • nanotubes
  • porous boron nitride
  • nanocapsules
  • molecular and polymeric precursor

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 7967 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Boron Nitride on the Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)
by Mualla Öner, Gülnur Kızıl, Gülşah Keskin, Celine Pochat-Bohatier and Mikhael Bechelany
Nanomaterials 2018, 8(11), 940; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano8110940 - 15 Nov 2018
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 5162
Abstract
The thermal and mechanical properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate, PHBV) composites filled with boron nitride (BN) particles with two different sizes and shapes were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis [...] Read more.
The thermal and mechanical properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate, PHBV) composites filled with boron nitride (BN) particles with two different sizes and shapes were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and mechanical testing. The biocomposites were produced by melt extrusion of PHBV with untreated BN and surface-treated BN particles. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the thermal stability of the composites was higher than that of neat PHBV while the effect of the different shapes and sizes of the particles on the thermal stability was insignificant. DSC analysis showed that the crystallinity of the PHBV was not affected significantly by the change in filler concentration and the type of the BN nanoparticle but decreasing of the crystallinity of PHBV/BN composites was observed at higher loadings. BN particles treated with silane coupling agent yielded nanocomposites characterized by good mechanical performance. The results demonstrate that mechanical properties of the composites were found to increase more for the silanized flake type BN (OSFBN) compared to silanized hexagonal disk type BN (OSBN). The highest Young’s modulus was obtained for the nanocomposite sample containing 1 wt.% OSFBN, for which increase of Young’s modulus up to 19% was observed in comparison to the neat PHBV. The Halpin–Tsai and Hui–Shia models were used to evaluate the effect of reinforcement by BN particles on the elastic modulus of the composites. Micromechanical models for initial composite stiffness showed good correlation with experimental values. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Boron Nitride Nanostructures)
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12 pages, 2347 KiB  
Article
Exfoliation of Hexagonal Boron Nitride (h-BN) in Liquide Phase by Ion Intercalation
by Danae Gonzalez Ortiz, Celine Pochat-Bohatier, Julien Cambedouzou, Mikhael Bechelany and Philippe Miele
Nanomaterials 2018, 8(9), 716; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano8090716 - 12 Sep 2018
Cited by 87 | Viewed by 8200
Abstract
A green approach to prepare exfoliated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (h-BNNS) from commercially pristine h-BN involving a two-step procedure was investigated. The first step involves the dispersion of pristine h-BN within an aqueous solution containing gelatin and potassium or zinc chloride using a [...] Read more.
A green approach to prepare exfoliated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (h-BNNS) from commercially pristine h-BN involving a two-step procedure was investigated. The first step involves the dispersion of pristine h-BN within an aqueous solution containing gelatin and potassium or zinc chloride using a sonication method. The second involves the removal of larger exfoliated h-BNNS through a centrifugation procedure. The exfoliation was caused not only by the sonication effect but also by intercalation of K+ and Zn2+ ions. Transmission electronic microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy techniques show that the obtained h-BNNS generally display a thickness of about a few (2–3) layers with an exfoliation efficiency as high as 16.3 ± 0.4%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Boron Nitride Nanostructures)
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22 pages, 7033 KiB  
Article
Hexagonal Boron Nitride Functionalized with Au Nanoparticles—Properties and Potential Biological Applications
by Magdalena Jedrzejczak-Silicka, Martyna Trukawka, Mateusz Dudziak, Katarzyna Piotrowska and Ewa Mijowska
Nanomaterials 2018, 8(8), 605; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano8080605 - 9 Aug 2018
Cited by 63 | Viewed by 10651
Abstract
Hexagonal boron nitride is often referred to as white graphene. This is a 2D layered material, with a structure similar to graphene. It has gained many applications in cosmetics, dental cements, ceramics etc. Hexagonal boron nitride is also used in medicine, as a [...] Read more.
Hexagonal boron nitride is often referred to as white graphene. This is a 2D layered material, with a structure similar to graphene. It has gained many applications in cosmetics, dental cements, ceramics etc. Hexagonal boron nitride is also used in medicine, as a drug carrier similar as graphene or graphene oxide. Here we report that this material can be exfoliated in two steps: chemical treatment (via modified Hummers method) followed by the sonication treatment. Afterwards, the surface of the obtained material can be efficiently functionalized with gold nanoparticles. The mitochondrial activity was not affected in L929 and MCF-7 cell line cultures during 24-h incubation, whereas longer incubation (for 48, and 72 h) with this nanocomposite affected the cellular metabolism. Lysosome functionality, analyzed using the NR uptake assay, was also reduced in both cell lines. Interestingly, the rate of MCF-7 cell proliferation was reduced when exposed to h-BN loaded with gold nanoparticles. It is believed that h-BN nanocomposite with gold nanoparticles is an attractive material for cancer drug delivery and photodynamic therapy in cancer killing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Boron Nitride Nanostructures)
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14 pages, 4224 KiB  
Article
Effective Mechanical Properties and Thickness Determination of Boron Nitride Nanosheets Using Molecular Dynamics Simulation
by Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan and Liangchi Zhang
Nanomaterials 2018, 8(7), 546; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano8070546 - 19 Jul 2018
Cited by 39 | Viewed by 5232
Abstract
Research in boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) has evoked significant interest in the field of nano-electronics, nanoelectromechanical (NEMS) devices, and nanocomposites due to its excellent physical and chemical properties. Despite this, there has been no reliable data on the effective mechanical properties of BNNS, [...] Read more.
Research in boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) has evoked significant interest in the field of nano-electronics, nanoelectromechanical (NEMS) devices, and nanocomposites due to its excellent physical and chemical properties. Despite this, there has been no reliable data on the effective mechanical properties of BNNS, with the literature reporting a wide scatter of strength data for the same material. To address this challenge, this article presents a comprehensive analysis on the effect of vital factors which can result in variations of the effective mechanical properties of BNNS. Additionally, the article also presents the computation of the correct wall thickness of BNNS from elastic theory equations, which is an important descriptor for any research to determine the mechanical properties of BNNS. It was predicted that the correct thickness of BNNS should be 0.106 nm and the effective Young’s modulus to be 2.75 TPa. It is anticipated that the findings from this study could provide valuable insights on the true mechanical properties of BNNS that could assist in the design and development of efficient BN-based NEMS devices, nanosensors, and nanocomposites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Boron Nitride Nanostructures)
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14 pages, 21648 KiB  
Article
Alignment of Boron Nitride Nanofibers in Epoxy Composite Films for Thermal Conductivity and Dielectric Breakdown Strength Improvement
by Zhengdong Wang, Jingya Liu, Yonghong Cheng, Siyu Chen, Mengmeng Yang, Jialiang Huang, Hongkang Wang, Guanglei Wu and Hongjing Wu
Nanomaterials 2018, 8(4), 242; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano8040242 - 15 Apr 2018
Cited by 61 | Viewed by 8045
Abstract
Development of polymer-based composites with simultaneously high thermal conductivity and breakdown strength has attracted considerable attention owing to their important applications in both electronic and electric industries. In this work, boron nitride (BN) nanofibers (BNNF) are successfully prepared as fillers, which are used [...] Read more.
Development of polymer-based composites with simultaneously high thermal conductivity and breakdown strength has attracted considerable attention owing to their important applications in both electronic and electric industries. In this work, boron nitride (BN) nanofibers (BNNF) are successfully prepared as fillers, which are used for epoxy composites. In addition, the BNNF in epoxy composites are aligned by using a film casting method. The composites show enhanced thermal conductivity and dielectric breakdown strength. For instance, after doping with BNNF of 2 wt%, the thermal conductivity of composites increased by 36.4% in comparison with that of the epoxy matrix. Meanwhile, the breakdown strength of the composite with 1 wt% BNNF is 122.9 kV/mm, which increased by 6.8% more than that of neat epoxy (115.1 kV/mm). Moreover, the composites have maintained a low dielectric constant and alternating current conductivity among the range of full frequency, and show a higher thermal decomposition temperature and glass-transition temperature. The composites with aligning BNNF have wide application prospects in electronic packaging material and printed circuit boards. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Boron Nitride Nanostructures)
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8 pages, 1458 KiB  
Article
Direct Observation of Inner-Layer Inward Contractions of Multiwalled Boron Nitride Nanotubes upon in Situ Heating
by Zhongwen Li, Zi-An Li, Shuaishuai Sun, Dingguo Zheng, Hong Wang, Huanfang Tian, Huaixin Yang, Xuedong Bai and Jianqi Li
Nanomaterials 2018, 8(2), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano8020086 - 4 Feb 2018
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5302
Abstract
In situ heating transmission electron microscopy observations clearly reveal remarkable interlayer expansion and inner-layer inward contraction in multi-walled boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) as the specimen temperature increases. We interpreted the observed inward contraction as being due to the presence of the strong constraints [...] Read more.
In situ heating transmission electron microscopy observations clearly reveal remarkable interlayer expansion and inner-layer inward contraction in multi-walled boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) as the specimen temperature increases. We interpreted the observed inward contraction as being due to the presence of the strong constraints of the outer layers on radial expansion in the tubular structure upon in situ heating. The increase in specimen temperature upon heating can create pressure and stress toward the tubular center, which drive the lattice motion and yield inner diameter contraction for the multi-walled BNNTs. Using a simple model involving a wave-like pattern of layer-wise distortion, we discuss these peculiar structural alterations and the anisotropic thermal expansion properties of the tubular structures. Moreover, our in situ atomic images also reveal Russian-doll-type BN nanotubes, which show anisotropic thermal expansion behaviors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Boron Nitride Nanostructures)
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