Breaking Strong Lip to Lip Interactions in Hexagonal Boron Nitride: A Facile, Scalable Exfoliation Protocol

Ultra-thin hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has sparked significant prominence among the wide range of 2D materials. However, the exfoliation of ultra-thin hBN is a formidable challenge owing to strong interlayer interactions, and there is an utmost demand for a protocol for scalable and mass production of hBN. Herein, for the first time is proposed to exfoliate the ultra-thin hBN with an exfoliation yield (≈35%) by employing a facile, scalable plasma spray approach without using any kind of intercalates or solvents. Exfoliated hBN shows high specific surface area (≈117 m² g^-1), high thermal stability (up to 900 °C), and high purity. Further, potent applications of hBN nanosheets are evaluated as proof of concept for tribological, corrosion resistance, and reinforcement. The findings of this work provide a promising plasma spray protocol for the scalable, mass production of ultra-thin hBN nanosheets.