File(s) under permanent embargo
Boron nitride nanotube films grown from boron ink painting
journal contribution
posted on 2010-01-01, 00:00 authored by Luhua LiLuhua Li, Ying (Ian) ChenYing (Ian) Chen, Alexey GlushenkovThe growth of nanotube films can have important applications in building nanoscale functional devices or solving interfacial and heat problems. We report that high-density boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) films with any desired pattern can be grown on complicated surfaces using a boron (B) ink process. The special B ink, a mixture of nanosized B particles, metal nitrate and ethanol, is first painted, sprayed or inkjet printed at the desired location with required pattern, and then the ink layer is annealed in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere to form BNNT film. This is the first method capable of growing BNNTs on complex non-flat surfaces, which greatly broadens the potential application of BNNTs. For example, it is demonstrated here that a BNNT coated steel mesh can separate water and oil on a microlitre scale; a needle given an internal BNNT coating could greatly enhance microfluidic transport; and a coated screw could be used to minimize wear at the interface.
History
Journal
Journal of materials chemistryVolume
20Issue
43Pagination
9679 - 9683Publisher
Royal Society of ChemistryLocation
Cambridge, EnglandPublisher DOI
ISSN
0959-9428eISSN
1364-5501Language
engNotes
First published on the web 27 Aug 2010Publication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2010, The Royal Society of ChemistryUsage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedKeywords
Licence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC