Chemistry in Pictures: 3D nanoarchitected hexagonal boron nitride

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is a critical nanomaterial for electronics, thermal management, and extreme conditions due to its high-temperature resistance, electrical insulation, piezoelectric properties, and high mechanical strength. But most studies have focused on its 2D form because the material’s brittleness and susceptibility to microstructural changes have made scaling up to three dimensions challenging. To overcome this, researchers created a 3D hollow hBN architecture (shown in false color) with nanometer-thin shells. To do this, they used a 3D printed carbon scaffold and chemical vapor deposition, and afterward removed the scaffold. This architecture is 100 times lighter than water and fully recovers after being squeezed and compressed by 90%. This method can be scaled to 3D centimeter-sized samples while the nanoscale features critical for maintaining hBN’s unique properties for applications such as ultrasensitive piezoelectric sensors for space exploration, microelectronics insulation, and lightweight, impact-resistant coatings are preserved.

This image is one of three winners of the recent NanoInFocus image contest, sponsored by the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, on behalf of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, along with the American Chemical Society and the University of California San Diego Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. Check out the other winners, Microbroccoli and Landscape of Nanospheres.

Submitted by James Surjadi

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