Nanomaterials (Sep 2023)

Eco-Friendly Dispersant-Free Purification Method of Boron Nitride Nanotubes through Controlling Surface Tension and Steric Repulsion with Solvents

  • Minsung Kang,
  • Jungmo Kim,
  • Hongjin Lim,
  • Jaehyoung Ko,
  • Hong-Sik Kim,
  • Yongho Joo,
  • Se Youn Moon,
  • Se Gyu Jang,
  • Eunji Lee,
  • Seokhoon Ahn

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13182593
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 18
p. 2593

Abstract

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Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) were purified without the use of a dispersant by controlling the surface tension and steric repulsion of solvent molecules. This method effectively enhanced the difference in solubilities of impurities and BNNTs. The purification process involved optimizing the alkyl-chains of alcohol solvents and adjusting the concentration of alcohol solvent in water to regulate surface tension and steric repulsion. Among the solvents tested, a 70 wt% t-butylalcohol in water mixture exhibited the highest selective isolation of BNNTs from impurities based on differences in solubilities. This favorable outcome was attributed to the surface tension matching with BNNTs, steric repulsion from bulky alkyl chain structures, and differences in interfacial energy between BNNT–liquid and impurity–liquid interfaces. Through this optimized purification process, impurities were removed to an extent of up to 93.3%. Additionally, the purified BNNTs exhibited a distinct liquid crystal phase, which was not observed in the unpurified BNNTs.

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