Aligned Boron Nitride Nanotube Thin Films and their Co-Composites with Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes through Slow Vacuum Filtration

Published

June 17, 2025

Author(s)

Jeffrey Fagan, Pavel Shapturenka, Tehseen Adel, Frank Abel, Angela Hight Walker

Abstract

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are a promising nanomaterial for applications due to their remarkable optical and mechanical properties, chemical robustness, and extended aspect ratios. Herein we report the formation of strongly biaxially aligned thin films of BNNTs using automated slow vacuum filtration (SVF), as well as their co-composites with single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Pure BNNT SVF-generated films are found to differ in optimization conditions from those identified previously for SWCNTs, but display similar improvement in alignment and uniformity with advanced purification for nanotube length and homogeneity, with globally aligned films observed. Mixed, co-composite, biaxially aligned films of BNNTs with SWCNTs are also described. Such films provide effective and efficient hosting capabilities for unique morphologies of distributed and individualized SWCNTs aligned by a wide-bandgap BNNT matrix. Concentrations upwards of 25% SWCNT mass fraction were found to reside within majority-BNNT films without significantly disrupting the global composite structure; the SWCNT fraction, in turn, enabled probing of both local and global nematic alignment through their use as spectroscopic reporters. Leveraging the thickness and alignment control provided by our SVF implementation, both neat BNNT and composite films show great promise for advancing novel photonic and other thin-film nanocomposite applications requiring tailorable mechanical, thermal, optical, and electronic functionalities.

Citation

ACS Nanoscience Au

Volume

5

Issue

4

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnanoscienceau.5c00022

Local Download

Keywords

carbon nanotube, boron nitride nanotube, alignment, filtration, directed assembly, Raman scattering

Citation

Fagan, J. , Shapturenka, P. , Adel, T. , Abel, F. and Hight Walker, A. (2025), Aligned Boron Nitride Nanotube Thin Films and their Co-Composites with Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes through Slow Vacuum Filtration, ACS Nanoscience Au, [online], https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnanoscienceau.5c00022, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=959331 (Accessed April 9, 2026)