Synthesis of Few-Atomic-Layer BN Hollow Nanospheres and Their Applications as Nanocontainers and Catalyst Support Materials

In this work, few-atomic-layer boron nitride (BN) hollow nanospheres were directly synthesized via a modified CVD method followed by subsequent high-temperature degassing treatment. The encapsulated impurities in the hollow nanospheres were effectively removed during the reaction process. The BN shells of most nanospheres consisted of 2-6 atomic layers. Because of the low thickness, the obtained BN hollow nanospheres presented excellent performance in many aspects. For instance, they were demonstrated as useful nanocontainers for controllable multistep release of iodine, which could diffuse and be encapsulated into the few-layer BN hollow nanospheres when heating. They were also promising support materials that could markedly increase the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanocrystals.