Nonwetting and optical properties of BN nanosheet films

This study begins with a brief discussion on the high-temperature chemical vapor deposition synthesis of transparent boron nitride nanosheet films on silicon/silicon dioxide substrates. The compact nanosheets grew perpendicular to the substrate surface, and the majority of them had thicknesses of less than 5 nm. ^{}Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy measurements demonstrated a wide optical band gap of ∼5·6 eV of nanosheets, and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy showed their strong luminescence emission in the ultraviolet region. The nanorough surface morphology of the films induced nonwetting and self-cleaning features with water-contact angles reaching ∼153°. Such transparent superhydrophobic films can be utilized for the preparation of nonwetting ultraviolet light-emitting surfaces for optoelectronics applications, antifouling surfaces on marine vessels or oil–water separation equipments.