Mechanical properties of atomically thin boron nitride and the role of interlayer interactions

• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15815
• Publication Date: 2017-06-22T09:39:05Z
• Authors: Aleksey Falin; Qiran Cai; Elton J.G. Santos; Declan Scullion; Dong Qian; Rui Zhang; Zhi Yang; Shaoming Huang; Kenji Watanabe; Takashi Taniguchi; Matthew R. Barnett; Ying Chen; Rodney S. Ruoff; Lu Hua Li
• Keywords: Indentation; Nanomaterials; Mechanical strength

Abstract Atomically thin boron nitride (BN) nanosheets are important two-dimensional nanomaterials with many unique properties distinct from those of graphene, but investigation into their mechanical remains incomplete. Here we report that high-quality single-crystalline mono- and few-layer BN one the strongest electrically insulating materials. More intriguingly, shows behaviours quite different graphene under indentation. In striking contrast to whose strength decreases by more than 30% when number layers increases 1 8, is not sensitive increasing thickness. We attribute this difference interlayer interactions hence sliding tendencies in these two materials The significantly better integrity makes them a attractive candidate for several applications, example, as reinforcements.