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Owing to its exceptional properties and wide‐ranging potential applications from aerospace to medicine, hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) has garnered considerable attention over the past decades. Boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs), atomically thin h‐BN, not only inherit most of the outstanding properties of h‐BN but also exhibit superior characteristics compared to their bulk counterpart due to their reduced thickness, such as special adsorption behaviors and enhanced thermal conductivity. Furthermore, BNNSs display distinct thickness‐dependent properties from graphene and other 2D materials, such as unique mechanical response under indentation. This feature article provides an overview of the thickness‐related special properties of BNNSs, primarily derived from mechanically exfoliated h‐BN single crystals. These properties span various domains, including Raman signatures, molecule adsorption‐induced conformational changes, mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion coefficients. Moreover, the feature article explores the underlying mechanisms governing these atomic‐scale thickness effects. Leveraging their unique properties, the feature article investigates diverse applications of BNNSs, encompassing surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy, metal‐enhanced fluorescence, and isotropic thermal management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface interaction is extremely important to both fundamental research and practical application. Physisorption can induce shape and structural distortion (i.e., conformational changes) in macromolecular and biomolecular adsorbates, but such phenomena have rarely been observed on adsorbents. Here, it is demonstrated theoretically and experimentally that atomically thin boron nitride (BN) nanosheets as an adsorbent experience conformational changes upon surface adsorption of molecules, increasing adsorption energy and efficiency. The study not only provides new perspectives on the strong adsorption capability of BN nanosheets and many other two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials but also opens up possibilities for many novel applications. For example, it is demonstrated that BN nanosheets with the same surface area as bulk hexagonal BN particles are more effective in purification and sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On page 8202, Y. Chen, L. H. Li and co‐workers provide new perspectives on the strong surface adsorption capability of two‐dimensional nanomaterials. They demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that as an adsorbent, BN nanosheets experience conformational changes after surface adsorption of molecules with a resultant increase of adsorption energy and efficiency. This fundamental discovery is valuable for many applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urgent need for ultrahigh thermally conductive materials to keep up with the rapid development of the electronics industry has led to the exploration of hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) as an ideal material for thermal transport/dissipation applications. BNNSs possess outstanding mechanical strength, electrical insulation, thermal conductivity, and low density, as well as remarkable oxidation resistance. This article provides a comprehensive review of various fabrication methods for BNNSs and compares their advantages and disadvantages. Additionally, the article discusses the impact of several BNNS properties, including thickness, size, interface, isotopic concentration, and defects, on their thermally conductive properties. Lastly, the review delves into the use of BNNSs as highly thermally conductive fillers in polymer-based materials, highlighting the significant effects of the content, directionality, dispersibility, and structure of BNNSs within the polymer matrix on the composite's thermally conductive properties. This review aims to spark new fabrication methods and improvements to achieve BNNS/polymer composites and promote their practical application as thermal transport/dissipation materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]