Large-scale exfoliation of hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets in liquid phase

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), the structure analogue of graphite, has many potential applications owing to its superb thermal, electrical and mechanical properties. In this study, a novel facile mixture solvents strategy (ammonia water solution/isopropyl alcohol) was developed for the preparation of h-BN nanosheets (BNNSs) in large scale, and the results demonstrated the exfoliated BNNSs were very stable in isopropyl alcohol solution. Lewis acid-base interaction was considered to be the mechanism for the exfoliation of h-BN due to the electron-deficient boron atoms. This simple and low cost exfoliation approach could provide a promising platform for preparation and applications of BNNSs in the future.