Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a layered material with a graphite-like structure in which planar networks of BN hexagons are regularly stacked. As the structural analogue of a carbon nanotube (CNT), a BN nanotube (BNNT) was first predicted in 1994; since then, it has become one of the most intriguing non-carbon nanotubes. Compared with metallic or semiconducting CNTs, a BNNT is an electrical insulator with a band gap of ca. 5 eV, basically independent of tube geometry. In addition, BNNTs possess a high chemical stability, excellent mechanical properties, and high thermal conductivity. The same advantages are likely applicable to a graphene analogue-a monatomic layer of a hexagonal BN. Such unique properties make BN nanotubes and nanosheets a promising nanomaterial in a variety of potential fields such as optoelectronic nanodevices, functional composites, hydrogen accumulators, electrically insulating substrates perfectly matching the CNT, and graphene lattices. This review gives an introduction to the rich BN nanotube/nanosheet field, including the latest achievements in the synthesis, structural analyses, and property evaluations, and presents the purpose and significance of this direction in the light of the general nanotube/nanosheet developments.

Fluorination of BN nanotubes has been performed using a catalytic growth method, which leads to the appearance of markedly curved fluorine-doped BN sheets and converts originally insulating BN nanotubes to semiconductors, as confirmed by the comparative electron transport four-probe measurements on doped and undoped individual BN nanotubes.

Novel activated boron nitride (BN) as an effective adsorbent for pollutants in water and air has been reported in the present work. The activated BN was synthesized by a simple structure-directed method that enabled us to control the surface area, pore volume, crystal defects and surface groups. The obtained BN exhibits an super high surface area of 2078 m2/g, a large pore volume of 1.66 cm3/g and a special multimodal microporous/mesoporous structure located at ~ 1.3, ~ 2.7, and ~ 3.9 nm, respectively. More importantly, the novel activated BN exhibits an excellent adsorption performance for various metal ions (Cr3+, Co2+, Ni2+, Ce3+, Pb2+) and organic pollutants (tetracycline, methyl orange and congo red) in water, as well as volatile organic compounds (benzene) in air. The excellent reusability of the activated BN has also been confirmed. All the features render the activated BN a promising material suitable for environmental remediation.

A new concept is proposed to explain the formation of spherical boron nitride (BN) nanoparticles synthesized by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reaction of trimethoxyborane (B(OMe)3) with ammonia. The intermediate phases formed during the CVD under different reaction conditions are analyzed by X‐ray diffraction, electron microscopy, thermogravimetry, and spectroscopy techniques. The transition mechanism from an intermediate B(OMe)3–xH3–xN (x < 2) phase having single BN bonds to the BN nanoparticles is elucidated. This particularly emphasizes the CVD temperature effect governing the conversion of the NH···OB hydrogen bonds in (OMe)3B · NH3 into the NB bonds in B(OMe)3–xH3–xN. The spherical morphology strongly depends on the remnant impurity oxygen formed upon Me2O group elimination in the intermediate. Two types of spherical BN nanoparticles primarily attractive for immediate commercialization (with C and H impurities at a level less than 1 wt %) are synthesized by the adjustment of experimental parameters: high oxygen‐containing (∼6.3 wt %) BN spheres with a diameter of ∼90 nm and a specific surface area of 26.8 m2 g−1; and low oxygen‐containing (<1 wt %) BN spheres with a diameter of ∼30 nm and a surface area of 52.7 m2 g−1. Finally, the regarded synthetic techniques are fully optimized in the present work.

The versatility of perovskite crystal structure has become the great advantage of lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) during their functional applications. Here we report an effective solvothermal method for the controllable synthesis of CsPbBr3 nanoplatelets (NPLs) and their transformation to Cs4PbBr6 NCs. Through solvothermal reaction of a mixture of Cs-oleate and PbBr2 precursors, CsPbBr3 NPLs can be synthesized in mass production. The lateral sizes of CsPbBr3 NPLs can be precisely tuned by varying the solvothermal reaction temperatures and times, while the thickness of NPLs remains constant at ∼4.2 nm, which is in the quantum confinement regime. The fine-tuning of lateral NPL sizes results in precise modulation of their photoluminescence emission. Moreover, an interesting phase transformation from cubic CsPbBr3 NPLs to rhombohedral Cs4PbBr6 NCs, and the reversible transformation from Cs4PbBr6 NCs to CsPbBr3 NPLs can be readily achieved by changing the solvothermal reaction sources. The present solvothermal approach is simple, convenient, controllable, and can be easily extended to preparation of other perovskite NCs with different halide compositions.

High‐quality, uniform one‐dimensional CdS micro/nanostructures with different morphologies—microrods, sub‐microwires and nanotips—are fabricated through an easy and effective thermal evaporation process. Their structural, cathodoluminescence and field‐emission properties are systematically investigated. Microrods and nanotips exhibit sharp near‐band‐edge emission and broad deep‐level emission, whereas sub‐microwires show only the deep‐level emission. A significant decrease in a deep‐level/near‐band‐edge intensity ratio is observed along a tapered nanotip towards a smaller diameter part. This behavior is understood by consideration of defect concentrations in the nanotips, as analyzed with high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy. Field‐emission measurements show that the nanotips possess the best field‐emission characteristics among all 1D CdS nanostructures reported to date, with a relatively low turn‐on field of 5.28 V µm−1 and the highest field‐enhancement factor of 4 819. The field‐enhancement factor, turn‐on and threshold fields are discussed related to structure morphology and vacuum gap variations under emission.

In this work, a hydrothermal route using an ethanol-water solution to progressively synthesize a sequence of flowerlike three-dimensional gamma-AlOOH boehmite nanostructures without employing templates or matrixes for self-assembly is presented. The flowerlike boehmite nanoarchitectures exhibit three hierarchies of self-organization, i.e., single-crystalline nanorods, nanostrips, and bundles, which are characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The sequence of products obtained after different processing times indicates a self-assembly mechanism. The hydrogen bonding on the surface of nanorods or nanostrips possibly plays a key role, as identified by FTIR spectra of the products after they had been heated to 1000 degrees C. The specific surface area and pore-size distribution of the obtained product as determined by gas-sorption measurements show that the boehmite nanoarchitectures exhibit high BET surface area and porosity properties.

Adsorption represents an efficient and economical approach for water purification and substantial research is being performed to develop effective sorbent materials.