# US 10,501,322 B2 · Mixed oxygen and organic compound treatment for functionalizing oxygen onto the surface of boron nitride

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- Number: US 10,501,322 B2
- Document ID: US10501322B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/843,305
- Filed: 2017-12-15
- Published: 2018-06-21
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2016-12-19
- Assignees: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
- Applicants: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
- Inventors: Ive Hermans; Joseph Thomas Grant; Juan Mauricio Venegas; Samuel Peter Burt; Philipp Mueller; Somphonh Peter Phivilay
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501322B2

## CPC

- C01B 21/0648: {After-treatment, e.g. grinding, purification (transformation of hexagonal into cubic or wurtzitic boron nitride C04B35/5831)}
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}

## Abstract

Improved methods of synthesizing oxygen-functionalized boron nitride (O—BN) are disclosed. In the disclosed methods, boron nitride (BN) in any form is contacted with a gaseous composition or compositions that include oxygen and an organic compound, such as, but not limited to, a hydrocarbon.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of making oxygen-functionalized boron nitride (O—BN), comprising contacting boron nitride (BN) simultaneously with one or more compositions that together comprise both oxygen and one or more organic compounds,
whereby the boron nitride becomes oxygen-functionalized boron nitride (O—BN).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more compositions are gaseous.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the boron nitride is contacted with the one or more gaseous compositions by a continuous flow of the one or more gaseous compositions over the surface of the boron nitride.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more gaseous compositions further comprise nitrogen.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the boron nitride is in the form of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), boron nitride nanomeshes (h-BN nanomeshes), boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs), boron nitride nanoribbons (BNNRs) or boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more organic compounds include 3 or more carbon atoms (are C3+ organic compounds), 4 or more carbon atoms (are C4+ organic compounds), 5 or more carbon atoms (are C5+ organic compounds), 6 or more carbon atoms (are C6+ organic compounds), 7 or more carbon atoms (are C7+ organic compounds), or 8 or more carbon atoms (are C8+ organic compounds).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more organic compounds are selected from the group consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbons, an aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, carbonates, a boronic acids, and borinic acids.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more organic compounds have from one to ten carbon atoms.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more organic compounds have from four to ten carbon atoms.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the organic compound is selected from the group consisting of methane, ethane, propane, isobutane, and n-butane.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more organic compounds are not propane.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the boron nitride is contacted with the one or more compositions for a total of 2-200 hours.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the boron nitride is contacted with the one or more compositions at a temperature of 200° C.-900° C.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the boron nitride is contacted with the one or more compositions at a temperature of 200° C.-500° C.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the boron nitride is contacted with the one or more compositions at a temperature of less than 500° C.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the boron nitride is contacted with the one or more compositions at a temperature of 250° C.-850° C.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more compositions are gaseous, and wherein the one or more organic compounds in the one or more compositions have a concentration (Mol %organic compound) of 0.05-0.95 Mol %.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more compositions are gaseous, and wherein the oxygen in the one or more compositions has a concentration (Mol %O2) of 0.05-0.95 Mol %.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more compositions are gaseous, and wherein the boron nitride is contacted with the one or more gaseous compositions by a continuous flow of the one or more gaseous compositions over the surface of the boron nitride, and wherein the total flow rate of the one or more gaseous compositions over the surface of the boron nitride is 10-1000 mL/min.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the total flow rate of the one or more gaseous compositions over the surface of the boron nitride is 60 mL/min or higher.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of removing water from the O—BN surface or from the environment adjacent to the O—BN surface.