Covalent Surface Functionalization of Boron Nitride Nanotubes Fabricated with Diazonium Salt

Zhujun Wang,Qian Li,Huayi Li,Jinfeng Liu,Shuirong Zheng

doi:10.1155/2018/6717046

Abstract

The chemical inertness and poor wetting properties of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) hindered their applications. In this work, BNNTs have been functionalized with aniline groups by reacting with diazonium salt and the graft content of aniline component was calculated as high as 71.4 wt.%. The chemical structure, composition, and morphology of functionalized BNNTs were carefully characterized to illustrate the modification. The anilinocarbocation generated by decomposition of diazonium salt reacted not only with NH2 sites, but also with B-OH sites on the surface of BNNTs. Meanwhile, the reaction applied a hot strong acid environment, which would help to open parts of B-N bonds to produce more reactive sites and enrich the functional groups grafted on the surface of BNNTs. Consequently, the functionalized BNNTs exhibited significantly improved dispersion stability in chloroform compared with pristine BNNTs. Amino surface functionalization of BNNTs offered more possibilities for surface chemical design of boron nitride and its practical application.

Highlights

As a structural analogue to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [1], boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) containing boron and nitrogen atoms distributed in hexagonal rings have attracted much attention due to their excellent mechanical properties, high thermal conductivity, superb thermal and antioxidation stabilities, excellent biocompatibility, and effective light emission properties [2,3,4,5]
We have proposed an innovative and simple approach to achieve chemically functionalized boron nitride nanotubes, which were abundantly decorated by aniline groups through the hydrolysis of the diazonium salt
These results suggested that aniline groups were attached on the surface of NH2Ph-BNNTs and could increase the affinity between BNNTs and chloroform solvent

Summary

Introduction

As a structural analogue to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [1], boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) containing boron and nitrogen atoms distributed in hexagonal rings have attracted much attention due to their excellent mechanical properties, high thermal conductivity, superb thermal and antioxidation stabilities, excellent biocompatibility, and effective light emission properties [2,3,4,5]. BNNTs can disperse well in certain solvent and polymer matrix after surface modification, which would expand their potential applications [11]. The development of new methods to realize the modification of BNNTs with functional groups attracted more and more attention

Methods

Results

Conclusion