Grafting Boron Nitride Nanotubes: From Polymers to Amorphous and Graphitic Carbon

In this article, using an atom transfer radical polymerization approach, for the first time polystyrene (PS) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) were grafted covalently on boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). Then, a technique was developed to fabricate novel amorphous or graphitic carbon−BNNTs composites with a perfect physical contact between the two phases using the polymer-functionalized BNNTs. BNNTs−carbon-balls composite structures were first successfully fabricated. Other experimental route revealed that a C−BN compound nanotubular nanostructure can be fabricated by using polyvinyl pyrrolidone wrapped BNNTs as an effective precursor, which possess well-defined composition variations and a clear interface between the carbon and BN tubular fragments. The obtained polymer-functionalized BNNTs and carbon−BNNTs composites are useful for the mechanical enhancement of polymeric matrixes and in various electrochemical devices.

[1]  M. Prato,et al.  Chemistry of carbon nanotubes. , 2006, Chemical reviews.

[2]  C. Zhi,et al.  Characteristics of boron nitride nanotube-polyaniline composites. , 2005, Angewandte Chemie.

[3]  J. Zuo,et al.  Double-helix structure in multiwall boron nitride nanotubes. , 2005, Acta crystallographica. Section A, Foundations of crystallography.

[4]  P. Yang,et al.  Synthesis of bifunctional polymer nanotubes from silicon nanowire templates via atom transfer radical polymerization. , 2005, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[5]  Ya‐Ping Sun,et al.  Solubilization of boron nitride nanotubes. , 2005, Chemical communications.

[6]  Z. Zhou,et al.  Preparation and electrochemical hydrogen storage of boron nitride nanotubes. , 2005, Journal of Physical Chemistry B.

[7]  C. Zhi,et al.  Phonon characteristics and cathodolumininescence of boron nitride nanotubes , 2005 .

[8]  R. Haddon,et al.  Synthesis and characterization of water soluble single-walled carbon nanotube graft copolymers. , 2005, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[9]  Kai Zhang,et al.  CdS‐Nanoparticle/Polymer Composite Shells Grown on Silica Nanospheres by Atom‐Transfer Radical Polymerization , 2005 .

[10]  Y. Xiao,et al.  Specific heat and quantized thermal conductance of single-walled boron nitride nanotubes , 2004 .

[11]  J. Mays,et al.  Polymer-grafted multiwalled carbon nanotubes through surface-initiated polymerization. , 2004, Angewandte Chemie.

[12]  D. Yan,et al.  Controlled functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes by in situ atom transfer radical polymerization. , 2004, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[13]  Y. Bando,et al.  Synthesis, Analysis, and Electrical Property Measurements of Compound Nanotubes in the B-C-N Ceramic System , 2004 .

[14]  P. Ajayan,et al.  Single-step in situ synthesis of polymer-grafted single-wall nanotube composites. , 2003, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[15]  A. Zettl,et al.  Functionalized boron nitride nanotubes with a stannic oxide coating: a novel chemical route to full coverage. , 2003, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[16]  Z John Zhang,et al.  Atom transfer radical polymerization synthesis and magnetic characterization of MnFe2O4/polystyrene core/shell nanoparticles. , 2002, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[17]  R. Smalley,et al.  Reversible water-solubilization of single-walled carbon nanotubes by polymer wrapping , 2001 .

[18]  P. McEuen,et al.  Thermal transport measurements of individual multiwalled nanotubes. , 2001, Physical review letters.

[19]  Y. Bando,et al.  Synthesis and characterization of ropes made of BN multiwalled nanotubes , 2001 .

[20]  X. Bai,et al.  Blue-violet photoluminescence from large-scale highly aligned boron carbonitride nanofibers , 2000 .

[21]  A. Demonceau,et al.  Highly Efficient Ruthenium-Based Catalytic Systems for the Controlled Free-Radical Polymerization of Vinyl Monomers. , 1999, Angewandte Chemie.

[22]  Y. Bando,et al.  Synthesis of boron nitride nanotubes from carbon nanotubes by a substitution reaction , 1998 .

[23]  P. Bernier,et al.  Elastic Properties of C and B x C y N z Composite Nanotubes , 1998, cond-mat/9804226.

[24]  Christian Colliex,et al.  Synthesis of Nanoparticles and Nanotubes with Well-Separated Layers , 1997 .

[25]  Steven G. Louie,et al.  Boron Nitride Nanotubes , 1995, Science.

[26]  S. Louie,et al.  Stability and Band Gap Constancy of Boron Nitride Nanotubes , 1994 .

[27]  Sung R. Choi,et al.  Boron Nitride Nanotubes-Reinforced Glass Composites , 2006 .

[28]  Y. Bando,et al.  Large-scale synthesis and structure of boron nitride sub-micron spherical particles. , 2002, Chemical communications.