Preparation of few layers hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets via high-pressure homogenization

• Few-layer BNNSs were prepared using the high pressure homogenizer.
• The suspension can be well dispersed in IPA without any surfactants.
• The exfoliated BNNSs were characterized by Raman and TEM.
• This convenient method provides a good direction for large-scale production.

We demonstrated a facile and efficient approach to fabricate well-dispersed boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) by liquid phase exfoliation of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) bulk using a high-pressure homogenizer. The h-BN bulk was mixed with isopropyl alcohol for several hours, and then homogenized under 100 MPa for 10 min, followed by centrifugation to obtain the BNNSs. The resulted few-layer BNNSs are confirmed by Raman spectra and transmission electron microscope. The concentration of BNNSs dispersion is accurately measured by Inductive Coupled Plasma, up to 0.083 mg mL−1 and the yield is 3.02%. These results provide a physical perspective applied to the other layered materials by liquid phase exfoliation. The above findings may pave the way for the scalable production of BNNSs.

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