Nanoscale structure and superhydrophobicity of sp2-bonded boron nitride aerogels

Thang Pham; Anna P. Goldstein; James P. Lewicki; Sergei O. Kucheyev; Cheng Wang; Thomas P. Russell; Marcus A. Worsley; Leta Woo; William Mickelson; Alex Zettl

doi:10.1039/C5NR01672J

Nanoscale structure and superhydrophobicity of sp²-bonded boron nitride aerogels†

Thang Pham,‡^abcd Anna P. Goldstein,‡^ade James P. Lewicki,^f Sergei O. Kucheyev,^f Cheng Wang,^g Thomas P. Russell,^hi Marcus A. Worsley,^f Leta Woo,^f William Mickelson^ac and Alex Zettl*^acdi

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA

^b Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA

^c Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA

^d Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute at the University of California, Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
E-mail: azettl@berkeley.edu

^e Department of Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA

^f Physical and Life Science Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA

^g Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA

^h Department of Polymer Science & Engineering, Conte Polymer Research Center, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA

ⁱ Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA

Abstract

Aerogels have much potential in both research and industrial applications due to their high surface area, low density, and fine pore size distribution. Here we report a thorough structural study of three-dimensional aerogels composed of highly crystalline sp²-bonded boron nitride (BN) layers synthesized by a carbothermic reduction process. The structure, crystallinity and bonding of the as-prepared BN aerogels are elucidated by X-ray diffraction, ¹¹B nuclear magnetic resonance, transmission electron microscopy, and resonant soft X-ray scattering. The macroscopic roughness of the aerogel's surface causes it to be superhydrophobic with a contact angle of ∼155° and exhibit high oil uptake capacity (up to 1500 wt%). The oil can be removed from the BN aerogel by oxidizing in air without damaging the crystalline porous structure of the aerogel or diminishing its oil absorption capacity.

Nanoscale

Nanoscale structure and superhydrophobicity of sp²-bonded boron nitride aerogels†

Abstract

Associated articles

Supplementary files

Article information

Download Citation

Author version available

Permissions

Nanoscale structure and superhydrophobicity of sp²-bonded boron nitride aerogels

Social activity

Search articles by author

Spotlight

Advertisements

Nanoscale