Preparation and characterization of h-BN nanosheets/chitosan microspheres

This article reports on the high-efficiency preparation of few layers h-BN nanosheets (BNNSs) by a high-pressure homogenizer. Then, the BNNSs/chitosan microspheres (BN-CS-M) are finally prepared by mixing BNNSs with chitosan under alkaline conditions. The BNNSs dispersion is investigated by UV-vis spectrophotometer and Transmission Electron Microscopy. In addition, we use Scanning Electron Microscopy and Laser particle size analyzer to characterize the microscopic and macroscopic morphology of BN-CS-M composites. Raman spectroscopy and Specific surface area testing are also used to explore the intrinsic properties of BN-CS-M. Thermal gravimetric analysis shows that composites with high content of BNNSs possess higher thermal stability. The results show that BNNSs is dispersed in the network of chitosan microspheres, and the higher the rate of centrifugation, the fewer BNNSs dispersed in the microspheres. The chitosan microspheres composite with pore diameters in the range of 1.7–2.9 nm belongs to the type IV adsorption curve.