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A simple method to prepare two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) scalably is essential for practical applications. Despite intense research in this area, high-yield production of two-dimensional h-BN with large size and high crystallinity is still a key challenge. In the present work, we propose a simple exfoliation process for boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) with high crystallinity by sonication-assisted hydrothermal method, via the synergistic effect of the high pressure, and cavitation of the sonication. Compared with the method only by sonication, the sonication-assisted hydrothermal method can get the fewer-layer BNNSs with high crystallinity. Meanwhile, it can reach higher yield of nearly 1.68%, as the hydrothermal method with the yield of only 0.12%. The simple sonication-assisted hydrothermal method has potential applications in exfoliating other layered materials, thus opening new ways to produce other layered materials in high yield and high crystallinity.


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Crystalline boron nitride nanosheets by sonication-assisted hydrothermal exfoliation

Show Author's information Zhaobo TIANKexin CHEN( )Siyuan SUNJie ZHANGWei CUIZhipeng XIEGuanghua LIU( )
State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Abstract

A simple method to prepare two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) scalably is essential for practical applications. Despite intense research in this area, high-yield production of two-dimensional h-BN with large size and high crystallinity is still a key challenge. In the present work, we propose a simple exfoliation process for boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) with high crystallinity by sonication-assisted hydrothermal method, via the synergistic effect of the high pressure, and cavitation of the sonication. Compared with the method only by sonication, the sonication-assisted hydrothermal method can get the fewer-layer BNNSs with high crystallinity. Meanwhile, it can reach higher yield of nearly 1.68%, as the hydrothermal method with the yield of only 0.12%. The simple sonication-assisted hydrothermal method has potential applications in exfoliating other layered materials, thus opening new ways to produce other layered materials in high yield and high crystallinity.

Keywords: boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS), high crystallinity, sonication-assisted, hydrothermal method

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Publication history
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Publication history

Received: 10 June 2018
Revised: 17 July 2018
Accepted: 25 July 2018
Published: 13 March 2019
Issue date: March 2019

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© The author(s) 2019

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