UC Berkeley

Carbon and boron-nitride based nanomaterials possess many exciting properties making them suitable for numerous applications spanning from electronics to advanced composites. However, these materials when synthesized often differ significantly from the idealized crystals usually considered theoretically. A thorough understanding of the structure of the materials as synthesized and how the resultant materials can be utilized for specific application purposes is required such that these applications can be effectively realized. To this end, the synthesis and characterization of carbon and boron-nitride based nanomaterials is undertaken with specific application purposes in mind.

As a potential scalable synthetic route for graphene, graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide are synthesized and characterized using atomic resolution electron microscopy. This elucidates their underlying structures revealing that the reduced form of GO does not resemble pristine graphene. The long-standing debate over the structure of GO is successfully ended with this study given the direct observation of the atomic structure of this material.

To develop advanced composite materials, the functionalization of carbon and boron nitride nanotubes is undertaken. The characterization of their functionalization and incorporation within composite materials, specifically within a Kevlar polymer matrix, is presented to allow for the development of composites with significantly enhanced mechanical properties.

Given a significant body of theoretical work paired with a single previous synthetic success, the synthesis of boron nitride nanoribbons is outlined. The first scalable synthesis of boron nitride nanoribbons is demonstrated resulting in long, consistent width, narrow, few-layer boron nitride nanoribbons which could be ideal for addressing these theoretical considerations.

To establish a method for the synthesis of thin hexagonal-boron nitride (h-BN), the design of a specialized CVD system is described. The material resulting from this system is analyzed with methods including atomic resolution electron microscopy with the results informing future approaches for the synthesis of h-BN.

Finally, high surface area boron nitride materials should be promising for hydrogen storage applications, especially if templated with a microporous scaffold. To this end, the first synthesis of a high surface area, microporous boron-nitride material is accomplished and the resultant surface areas of these materials are reported.