A facile solid state reaction route towards nearly monodisperse hexagonal boron nitride nanoparticles

Nearly monodisperse hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) nanoparticles with low agglomeration degree were successfully synthesized via a modified solid state metathesis reaction route. It was found that sulfur was essential for preparing monodisperse hBN nanoparticles at 250 °C. However, when the temperature exceeded 300 °C, hBN nanoparticles with uniform size could also be quickly synthesized even without sulfur, and the yield was up to ∼65%. Furthermore, the experimental results were properly explained by a fast reaction and explosive dispersion mechanism, which was proposed according to the exothermal reaction between sulfur and NaN and the explosive decomposition of the latter. Besides, the good thermal stability and high specific surface area made the as-prepared hBN nanoparticles applicable in many areas. © 2010 The Royal Society of Chemistry.