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Electrostabilized homogeneous dispersion of boron nitride nanotubes in wide-range of solvents achieved by surface polarity modulation through pyridine attachment

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Abstract

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) show exceptional physical properties including high mechanical strength and thermal conductivity; however, their applications have been restricted due to limited dispersibility in processing solvents. Here, a novel BNNT dispersion method with exceptional dispersibility in a wide range of solvents has been demonstrated by surface polarity modulation through short-molecule pyridine attachment. Nitrogen atoms in pyridine are selectively bonded to electron-deficient boron atoms of the BNNT surface through Lewis acid-base reaction, which changes the surface polarity of BNNTs from neutral to negative. Re-dispersing pyridine-attached BNNTs (Py-BNNTs) create a thick and stable electronic double layer (EDL), resulting in uniform dispersion of BNNTs in solvents with an exceptional solubility parameter range of 18.5–48 MPa1/2. The uniform dispersion of BNNTs is maintained even after the mixing with diverse polymers. Finally, composites incorporating uniformly-distributed BNNTs have been realized, and extraordinary property enhancements have been observed. The thermal conductivity of 20 wt.% Py-BNNT/epoxy composite has been significantly improved by 69.6% and the tensile strength of 2 wt.% Py-BNNT/PVA has been dramatically improved by 75.3%. Our work demonstrates a simple and facile route to dispersing BNNTs in diverse solvents, consequently leading to selective utilization of BNNT dispersed solvents in various application fields.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported financially by the Fundamental Research Program (PNK6050 and PNK6550) of the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Powder/Ceramic Research Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science, 797 Changwondae-ro, Seongsan-gu, Changwon, 51508, Republic of Korea

    Mi Se Chang, Min-Sun Jang, Sangsun Yang, Jihun Yu & Jae Won Jeong

  2. Research Institute of Advanced Materials and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea

    Mi Se Chang & Chong Rae Park

  3. Composites Research Division, Korea Institute of Materials Science, 797 Changwondae-ro, Seongsan-gu, Changwon, 51508, Republic of Korea

    Taehoon Kim

  4. Dept. of Energy and Mech. Eng., Gyeongsang National University, Cheondaegukchi-Gil 38, Tongyeong, 53064, Republic of Korea

    Sedong Kim & Hyomin Jeong

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  1. Mi Se Chang
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  2. Min-Sun Jang
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Correspondence to Chong Rae Park or Jae Won Jeong.

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12274_2019_2612_MOESM1_ESM.pdf

Electrostabilized homogeneous dispersion of boron nitride nanotubes in wide-range of solvents achieved by surface polarity modulation through pyridine attachment

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Chang, M.S., Jang, MS., Yang, S. et al. Electrostabilized homogeneous dispersion of boron nitride nanotubes in wide-range of solvents achieved by surface polarity modulation through pyridine attachment. Nano Res. 13, 344–352 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-019-2612-4

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