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Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Campus Access Master's Report
Degree Name
Master of Science in Applied Physics (MS)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Physics
Advisor 1
Yoke Khin Yap
Advisor 2
Dongyan Zhang
Committee Member 1
Jae Yong Suh
Committee Member 2
Raymond Shaw
Committee Member 3
John Jaszczak
Abstract
Synthesis of hexagonal boron nitride nanoparticles (BNNP) has traditionally yielded too low a quantity to suit research demand or contained significant uncontrollable impurities. In this work, we explore pathways for the scale-up of top-down sonication-assisted liquid exfoliation of bulk h-BN. This includes modifying the system to mitigate contamination and aid in dispersibility, as well as comparing chemical and physical methods to improve sonication efficiency and narrow the BNNP diameter distribution. Parallel studies on suspension strength showed significant improvement in particle retention for bath sonication in water after adding Brij 97, comparable to that of tip sonication. Centrifuging at 15k x g yielded particle distributions with median diameters of 40 - 50 nm. A model for the non-invasive weight measurement of suspended nanoparticles confirmed a correlation between the ideal calculation and experimental results for concentrations less than 5 mg/mL, but necessitates a secondary test for surface affinity on the dispersed particulate.
Recommended Citation
Cowles, Matthew, "SYNTHESIS AND NON-INVASIVE YIELD CHARACTERIZATION OF HEXAGONAL BORON NITRIDE NANOPARTICLES", Campus Access Master's Report, Michigan Technological University, 2026.