Thionyl Chloride Corrodes Hexagonal Boron Nitride to Generate Reactive Functional Groups.

Two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) has received much attention owing to its unique properties and wide range of applications. However, the lack of sufficient active functional groups on the surface coupled with the extremely stable structure restricts the wide application of h-BN. We find that thionyl chloride can corrode commercially available h-BN and generate many through-holes in the thickness direction.

Enhanced Electrical Properties of Polyethylene-Graft-Polystyrene/LDPE Composites.

Nanocomposite dielectrics show a great potential application in high voltage direct current cables for their obvious improvements in electrical properties. In the present manuscript, nanocomposite composed of low-density polyethylene and nanoscale polystyrene particles is studied by using low-density polyethylene grafted with polystyrene molecule. Fourier-transform infrared spectra reveal successful grafting of the polystyrene molecule onto the low-density polyethylene chain and the scanning electron microscope image shows the homogeneously dispersed nanoscale polystyrene particles.

Demulsification-induced fast solidification: a novel strategy for the preparation of polymer films.

We demonstrate a novel, simple and convenient demulsification-based method called demulsification-induced fast solidification (DIFS) to fabricate polymer films. Two dimensional films, three dimensional films, and free-standing polyvinyl acetate and polyurethane acrylate films were fabricated via electrochemical deposition using the DIFS method.

Mussel-inspired bio-compatible free-standing adhesive films assembled layer-by-layer with water-resistance.

The development of mussel-inspired materials with enhanced mechanical and physiological characteristics is fascinating due to the resulting structural properties. In this work, based on a chemical reaction, 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propionic acid and dopamine hydrochloride (DA), with a catechol group, were covalently grafted onto a bio-compatible polymer backbone of chitosan hydrochloride (CHI) and hyaluronic acid sodium (HA). A mussel-inspired water-resistant adhesive film that could adhere in water was then fabricated by an environmentally friendly layer-by-layer (LbL) process.