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Surface Cleaning of 2D Materials: Boron Nitride Nanosheets (BNNS) and Exfoliated Graphite Nanoplatelets (GNP)
Author(s) -
Guerra Valentina,
McNally Tony
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced materials interfaces
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.671
H-Index - 65
ISSN - 2196-7350
DOI - 10.1002/admi.202000944
Subject(s) - boron nitride , materials science , impurity , graphite , chemical engineering , pulmonary surfactant , ethanol , nanotechnology , composite material , chemistry , organic chemistry , engineering
Surface impurities such as water and surfactants can significantly affect the properties of 2D materials. They disrupt the 2D material lattice structure and surface chemistry and also promote electron and phonon scattering. Strategies to clean the surfaces of 2D materials are therefore critical to achieving optimal properties. Boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) and exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (GNP) are treated using three procedures: washing with ethanol, water‐assisted freeze‐drying, and freeze‐drying without addition of water in an attempt to remove two impurities—water and an ionic surfactant (sodium cholate, SC). There is total removal of water from BNNS when the starting material is treated using either freeze drying method whereas some water (≈40%) and traces of ethanol are detected in BNNS when washed with ethanol. It is not possible to exclude the presence of SC on BNNS and GNP post treatment; however, the relatively high amount of sodium (from SC) in the samples after freeze‐drying suggests the process contributed to the separation of BNNS and GNP aggregates. The BNNS flakes separate when washed with ethanol or freeze‐dried in the absence of water. The crystalline structure of BNNS and GNP is retained post treatments. This approach provides a route to cleaning and separating 2D materials.