Controllable synthesis, property investigation of hexagonal boron nitride micromesh and its functionalization by Ag nanoparticles

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) micromeshes (defined as “BNMM”) of high crystallinity (with diameters of up to 100 μm and pore size of 2.5 μm on average) have been synthesized by using Li2B4O7, Mg and NaN3 in stainless steel autoclaves at 500 °C for 12 h. Through tuning the experimental parameters, BN materials with various morphologies (such as nanospheres or thin films) could also be selectively prepared. The thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) results of the as-grown BNMM reveal their high thermal stability not only in ambient atmosphere but also in nitrogen atmosphere below 1050 °C. The BNMM were also analyzed by thermomechanical analysis (TMA) in nitrogen atmosphere. The as-obtained BNMM were applied for oxidation of benzyl alcohol and also functionalized by monodispersed Ag particles with potential applications as catalysts for carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation. The results indicate that the BNMM have 37.85% catalytic activity and nearly 100% selectivity in translating benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde, and the Ag/BNMM composites have catalytic activity for 70.50% of carbon monoxide oxidation.