skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Identifying the Molecular Edge Termination of Exfoliated Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanosheets with Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy and Plane-Wave DFT Calculations

Journal Article · · Chemistry of Materials

Hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (h-BNNS), the isoelectronic analog to graphene, have received interest over the past decade due to their high thermal oxidative resistance, high bandgap, catalytic activity, and low cost. The functional groups that terminate boron and nitrogen zigzag and/or armchair edges directly affect their chemical, physical, and electronic properties. However, an understanding of the molecular edge termination present in h-BNNS is lacking. Here, high-resolution magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR (SSNMR) spectroscopy, and plane-wave density-functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to determine the molecular edge termination in exfoliated h-BNNS. 1H → 11B cross-polarization MAS (CPMAS) SSNMR spectra of h-BNNS revealed multiple hydroxyl/oxygen coordinated boron edge sites that were not detectable in direct excitation experiments. A dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced 1H → 15N CPMAS spectrum of h-BNNS displayed four distinct 15N resonances while a 2D 1H{14N} dipolar-HMQC spectrum acquired with fast MAS revealed three distinct 14N environments. Plane-wave DFT calculations were used to construct model edge structures and predict the corresponding 11B, 14N and 15N SSNMR spectra. Comparison of the experimental and predicted SSNMR spectra confirms that zigzag and armchair edges with both amine and boron hydroxide/oxide termination are present. The detailed characterization of h-BNNS molecular edge termination will prove useful for many material science applications. The techniques outlined here should also be applicable to understand the molecular edge terminations in other 2D materials

Research Organization:
Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-07CH11358
OSTI ID:
1615924
Report Number(s):
IS-J-10,192
Journal Information:
Chemistry of Materials, Vol. 32, Issue 7; ISSN 0897-4756
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 29 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (143)

Electric Field Effect in Atomically Thin Carbon Films journal October 2004
The rise of graphene journal March 2007
Graphene-Based Ultracapacitors journal October 2008
The electronic properties of graphene journal January 2009
Graphene: Status and Prospects journal June 2009
Honeycomb Carbon: A Review of Graphene journal January 2010
Two-dimensional atomic crystals journal July 2005
Boron Nitride Nanotubes and Nanosheets journal May 2010
Soluble, Exfoliated Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanosheets journal November 2009
Advances in 2D boron nitride nanostructures: nanosheets, nanoribbons, nanomeshes, and hybrids with graphene journal January 2012
Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities in Two-Dimensional Materials Beyond Graphene journal March 2013
Recent Progress on Fabrications and Applications of Boron Nitride Nanomaterials: A Review journal June 2015
Two dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (2D-hBN): synthesis, properties and applications journal January 2017
Boron nitride-based materials for the removal of pollutants from aqueous solutions: A review journal February 2018
Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide nanosheet-based composites journal January 2015
Synthesis of borophenes: Anisotropic, two-dimensional boron polymorphs journal December 2015
Experimental realization of two-dimensional boron sheets journal March 2016
Solution Phase Mass Synthesis of 2D Atomic Layer with Hexagonal Boron Network journal August 2019
Formation and Characterization of Hydrogen Boride Sheets Derived from MgB 2 by Cation Exchange journal September 2017
Phosphorene: An Unexplored 2D Semiconductor with a High Hole Mobility journal March 2014
Superior mechanical flexibility of phosphorene and few-layer black phosphorus journal June 2014
High-Quality Black Phosphorus Atomic Layers by Liquid-Phase Exfoliation journal February 2015
Large-Scale Fabrication of Boron Nitride Nanosheets and Their Utilization in Polymeric Composites with Improved Thermal and Mechanical Properties journal July 2009
Large Scale Growth and Characterization of Atomic Hexagonal Boron Nitride Layers journal August 2010
Two-Dimensional Nanosheets Produced by Liquid Exfoliation of Layered Materials journal February 2011
Aqueous Dispersions of Few-Layered and Monolayered Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanosheets from Sonication-Assisted Hydrolysis: Critical Role of Water journal January 2011
Strong Oxidation Resistance of Atomically Thin Boron Nitride Nanosheets journal January 2014
Quasiparticle band structure of bulk hexagonal boron nitride and related systems journal March 1995
Direct-bandgap properties and evidence for ultraviolet lasing of hexagonal boron nitride single crystal journal May 2004
Selective oxidative dehydrogenation of propane to propene using boron nitride catalysts journal December 2016
Edge-hydroxylated Boron Nitride for Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane to Propylene journal April 2017
Direct Insight into Ethane Oxidative Dehydrogenation over Boron Nitrides journal July 2017
Catalytically Active Boron Nitride in Acetylene Hydrochlorination journal November 2017
Progress in selective oxidative dehydrogenation of light alkanes to olefins promoted by boron nitride catalysts journal January 2018
Construction of a Nanoporous Highly Crystalline Hexagonal Boron Nitride from an Amorphous Precursor for Catalytic Dehydrogenation journal June 2019
Carbon-doped BN nanosheets for metal-free photoredox catalysis journal July 2015
Metal-Free Dehydrogenation of N-Heterocycles by Ternary h -BCN Nanosheets with Visible Light journal March 2018
Formation of heterostructures via direct growth CN on h-BN porous nanosheets for metal-free photocatalysis journal December 2017
Crystal Structure of Boron Nitride journal May 1950
Energy Gaps and Stark Effect in Boron Nitride Nanoribbons journal August 2008
Edge Stabilities of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanoribbons: A First-Principles Study journal January 2011
Band-Gap Engineering via Tailored Line Defects in Boron-Nitride Nanoribbons, Sheets, and Nanotubes journal April 2012
Energetics and Electronic Structure of h-BN Nanoflakes journal August 2016
Atomically thin hexagonal boron nitride probed by ultrahigh-resolution transmission electron microscopy journal October 2009
Structure and Electronic Properties of Edge-Functionalized Armchair Boron Nitride Nanoribbons journal July 2012
The stabilities of boron nitride nanoribbons with different hydrogen-terminated edges journal June 2009
Effects of Edge Oxidation on the Structural, Electronic, and Magnetic Properties of Zigzag Boron Nitride Nanoribbons journal November 2013
Edge Chemistry Effects on the Structural, Electronic, and Electric Response Properties of Boron Nitride Quantum Dots journal August 2014
Electronic properties and relative stabilities of heterogeneous edge-decorated zigzag boron nitride nanoribbons journal November 2015
The reconstructed edges of the hexagonal BN journal January 2015
Polarity control of h-BN nanoribbon edges by strain and edge termination journal January 2017
Energetics and Electronic Structure of Triangular Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanoflakes journal November 2018
Strain-induced rich magnetic phase transitions and enhancement of magnetic stability for O-terminated h-BN nanoribbons journal February 2019
Study of the stability and electronic properties of h-BN nanoribbons with reconstructed edges journal July 2019
Understanding Aqueous Dispersibility of Boron Nitride Nanosheets from 1 H Solid State NMR and Reactive Molecular Dynamics journal February 2018
Mg/Al Ordering in Layered Double Hydroxides Revealed by Multinuclear NMR Spectroscopy journal July 2008
A General Protocol for Determining the Structures of Molecularly Ordered but Noncrystalline Silicate Frameworks journal April 2013
Direct Measurement of Surface Termination Groups and Their Connectivity in the 2D MXene V 2 CT x Using NMR Spectroscopy journal June 2015
Self-Assembled Oligoanilinic Nanosheets: Molecular Structure Revealed by Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy journal November 2015
NMR reveals the surface functionalisation of Ti 3 C 2 MXene journal January 2016
Degradation of black phosphorus: a real-time 31 P NMR study journal September 2016
Combined solid-state NMR, FT-IR and computational studies on layered and porous materials journal January 2018
Phosphorene and Black Phosphorus: The 31 P NMR View journal August 2019
Silicene, Siloxene, or Silicane? Revealing the Structure and Optical Properties of Silicon Nanosheets Derived from Calcium Disilicide journal November 2019
Synthesis and Solid-State NMR Structural Characterization of 13C-Labeled Graphite Oxide journal September 2008
Proton‐enhanced NMR of dilute spins in solids journal July 1973
Cross-polarization magic-angle-spinning silicon-29 nuclear magnetic resonance study of silica gel using trimethylsilane bonding as a probe of surface geometry and reactivity journal December 1982
Aluminum-27 cross polarization of aluminas. The NMR spectroscopy of surface aluminum atoms journal August 1989
Surface Enhanced NMR Spectroscopy by Dynamic Nuclear Polarization journal November 2010
Structure of Colloidal Quantum Dots from Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Surface Enhanced NMR Spectroscopy journal October 2015
NMR Nomenclature: Nuclear Spin Properties and Conventions for Chemical Shifts journal December 2002
Sensitivity enhancement of the central transition NMR signal of quadrupolar nuclei under magic-angle spinning journal September 2000
A Simple Technique for Determining Nuclear Quadrupole Coupling Constants with RAPT Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy journal May 2002
An Improved Broadband Decoupling Sequence for Liquid Crystals and Solids journal January 2000
Proton-Selective 17 O− 1 H Distance Measurements in Fast Magic-Angle-Spinning Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy for the Determination of Hydrogen Bond Lengths journal November 2006
Through-space R3-HETCOR experiments between spin-1/2 and half-integer quadrupolar nuclei in solid-state NMR journal June 2007
Comparison of several hetero-nuclear dipolar recoupling NMR methods to be used in MAS HMQC/HSQC journal May 2008
Indirect Detection via Spin-1/2 Nuclei in Solid State NMR Spectroscopy: Application to the Observation of Proximities between Protons and Quadrupolar Nuclei journal November 2009
Line-narrowing in proton-detected nitrogen-14 NMR journal January 2010
Improving the resolution in proton-detected through-space heteronuclear multiple quantum correlation NMR spectroscopy journal August 2014
Non-aqueous solvents for DNP surface enhanced NMR spectroscopy journal January 2012
Tuning of the Optical, Electronic, and Magnetic Properties of Boron Nitride Nanosheets with Oxygen Doping and Functionalization journal May 2017
Investigation of exchange processes by two‐dimensional NMR spectroscopy journal December 1979
Homonuclear NMR Correlations between Half-Integer Quadrupolar Nuclei Undergoing Magic-Angle Spinning journal December 2003
All-electron magnetic response with pseudopotentials: NMR chemical shifts journal May 2001
First principles methods using CASTEP journal January 2005
Generalized Gradient Approximation Made Simple journal October 1996
Accurate Molecular Van Der Waals Interactions from Ground-State Electron Density and Free-Atom Reference Data journal February 2009
Soft self-consistent pseudopotentials in a generalized eigenvalue formalism journal April 1990
Calculation of NMR chemical shifts for extended systems using ultrasoft pseudopotentials journal July 2007
Relativistic nuclear magnetic resonance J-coupling with ultrasoft pseudopotentials and the zeroth-order regular approximation journal June 2014
Transmission Electron Microscopy of Shape-Controlled Nanocrystals and Their Assemblies journal February 2000
Atomic Resolution Imaging and Topography of Boron Nitride Sheets Produced by Chemical Exfoliation journal February 2010
Recent Advances in Ultrathin Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials journal March 2017
Spectra-Structure Correlations in the Infra-Red Region journal January 1950
The characterisation of molecular boric acid by mass spectrometry and matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy journal January 1988
ATR-FTIR spectroscopic studies of boric acid adsorption on hydrous ferric oxide journal July 2003
A practical guide to solid-state NMR of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei with some applications to disordered systems journal November 1997
Structural information from quadrupolar nuclei in solid state NMR journal January 2006
An efficient 2D 11 B– 11 B solid-state NMR spectroscopy strategy for monitoring covalent self-assembly of boronic acid-derived compounds: the transformation and unique architecture of bortezomib molecules in the solid state journal January 2017
High-field boron-11 magic-angle spinning NMR characterization of boron nitrides journal May 1991
Structural analysis of boron compounds using 11B-3QMAS solid state NMR journal January 2002
Probing the Transformation of Boron Nitride Catalysts under Oxidative Dehydrogenation Conditions journal November 2018
Fabrication of a Freestanding Boron Nitride Single Layer and Its Defect Assignments journal May 2009
Selective Sputtering and Atomic Resolution Imaging of Atomically Thin Boron Nitride Membranes journal July 2009
Core-Level Spectroscopy of Point Defects in Single Layer h -BN journal February 2012
Oxidative Etching of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Toward Nanosheets with Defined Edges and Holes journal September 2015
Atomic-scale dynamics of triangular hole growth in monolayer hexagonal boron nitride under electron irradiation journal January 2015
Three-Coordinated Boron-11 Chemical Shifts in Borates journal November 2001
Boron-11 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic study of borate and borosilicate minerals and a borosilicate glass journal May 1986
HP-KB3O5 Highlights the Structural Diversity of Borates: Corner-Sharing BO3/BO4 Groups in Combination with Edge-Sharing BO4 Tetrahedra journal August 2011
11 B Chemical Shift Anisotropies in Borates from 11 B MAS, MQMAS, and Single-Crystal NMR Spectroscopy journal January 2004
Proton detection of MAS solid-state NMR spectra of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei journal July 2017
Use of carbon–carbon nuclear spin diffusion for the study of the miscibility of polymer blends journal February 1985
NMR crystallography of sodium diphosphates: combining dipolar, shielding, quadrupolar, diffraction, and computational information journal January 2013
Fast Characterization of Functionalized Silica Materials by Silicon-29 Surface-Enhanced NMR Spectroscopy Using Dynamic Nuclear Polarization journal February 2011
Dynamic nuclear polarization of quadrupolar nuclei using cross polarization from protons: surface-enhanced aluminium-27 NMR journal January 2012
Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Surface Enhanced NMR Spectroscopy journal March 2013
Atomic Description of the Interface between Silica and Alumina in Aluminosilicates through Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Surface-Enhanced NMR Spectroscopy and First-Principles Calculations journal August 2015
Probing the Surface Structure of Semiconductor Nanoparticles by DNP SENS with Dielectric Support Materials journal August 2019
SIMPSON: A General Simulation Program for Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy journal December 2000
High-Resolution14N Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy journal May 1998
A comprehensive NMR study of cubic and hexagonal boron nitride journal August 1998
High resolution solid state NMR investigation of various boron nitride preceramic polymers journal September 2002
Chemically Derived BN Ceramics: Extensive 11 B and 15 N Solid-State NMR Study of a Preceramic Polyborazilene journal May 2001
High-resolution15N solid-state NMR investigations on borazine-based precursors journal May 2004
11B and 15N solid state NMR investigation of a boron nitride preceramic polymer prepared by ammonolysis of borazine journal January 2005
Ab initio prediction of15N-NMR chemical shift in ?-boron nitride based on an analysis of connectivities journal May 1998
Indirect detection of nitrogen-14 in solids via protons by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy journal September 2006
Indirect detection of nitrogen-14 in solid-state NMR spectroscopy journal January 2010
Very fast magic angle spinning 1H-14N 2D solid-state NMR: Sub-micro-liter sample data collection in a few minutes journal January 2011
14 N– 1 H Heteronuclear Multiple-Quantum Correlation Magic-Angle Spinning NMR Spectroscopy of Organic Solids journal December 2012
Probing Hydrogen Bonding in Cocrystals and Amorphous Dispersions Using 14 N– 1 H HMQC Solid-State NMR journal February 2013
An Investigation of Weak CH···O Hydrogen Bonds in Maltose Anomers by a Combination of Calculation and Experimental Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy journal July 2005
The PAW/GIPAW approach for computing NMR parameters: A new dimension added to NMR study of solids journal July 2011
First-Principles Calculation of NMR Parameters Using the Gauge Including Projector Augmented Wave Method: A Chemist’s Point of View journal September 2012
Local versus Average Structure in LaSrAl 3 O 7 : A NMR and DFT Investigation journal October 2013
Coupling Solid-State NMR with GIPAW ab Initio Calculations in Metal Hydrides and Borohydrides journal May 2013
125Te NMR chemical-shift trends in PbTe–GeTe and PbTe–SnTe alloys journal October 2013
NMR Spectral Parameters in Graphene, Graphite, and Related Materials: Ab Initio Calculations and Experimental Results journal November 2016
35 Cl solid-state NMR spectroscopy of HCl pharmaceuticals and their polymorphs in bulk and dosage forms journal January 2016
14 N Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy of Amino Acids journal October 2016
Probing O–H Bonding through Proton Detected 1 H– 17 O Double Resonance Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy journal November 2018