In situ probing of the thermal treatment of h-BN towards exfoliation.

Two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is becoming increasingly interesting for wider engineering applications. Thermal exfoliation is being suggested as a facile technology to produce large quantities of 2D h-BN. Further optimization of the process requires fundamental understanding of the exfoliation mechanism, which is hardly realized by ex situ techniques. In this study, in situ synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction experiments are conducted while heat treating bulk h-BN up to 1273 K. During the heating process, linear expansion of c-axis is observed and the contraction of a-axis up to around 750 K is consistent with previous research. However, a changing behavior from contraction to expansion in a-axis direction is newly observed when heating over 750 K. With the consideration of previous thermally oxidation studies, a hypothesis of thermal assisted exfoliation with oxygen interstitial and substitution of nitrogen at high temperature is proposed.