Intercalated Hexagonal Boron Nitride/Silicates as Bilayer Multifunctional Ceramics

By performing an extensive 150+ first-principles calculations, this work demonstrates how the exotic properties of emerging 2D hBN nanosheets (e.g., ultrahigh surface area, high mechanical and thermal tolerance) can be coupled strategically (via exfoliation and geometrical compatibility) with the lamellar nanostructure of calcium-silicate crystals to introduce "reinforcement" at the basal plane of materials, i.e., the smallest possible scale. Probing mechanical properties show significant enhancement in strength, toughest, stiffness and strain, providing key guidelines to intercalate a suite of emerging 2D materials in ceramics for the bottom-up design and fabrication of ultrahigh performance and multifunctional ceramic composites.