Methods of generation of pores in sheets of hexagonal boron nitride and applications thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10294524-B2
Application number	US-201615088549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2016
Priority date	Apr 1, 2015
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to few-layer and monolayer hexagonal boron nitride having a pore therein. In one aspect, a method comprises providing a sheet of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). A defect is created in the sheet of h-BN. The sheet of h-BN is heated to a temperature above about 500° C. The defect in the sheet of h-BN is irradiated with charged particles to enlarge the defect to a hexagonal-shaped pore or a parallelogram-shaped pore in the sheet of h-BN.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
(a) providing a sheet of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN);
(b) creating a defect in the sheet of h-BN by depositing a catalyst on the sheet of h-BN and heating the catalyst;
(c) heating the sheet of h-BN to a temperature above about 500° C.; and
(d) irradiating the defect in the sheet of h-BN with charged particles to enlarge the defect to a hexagonal-shaped pore or a parallelogram-shaped pore in the sheet of h-BN.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
fabricating the sheet of h-BN.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the charged particles comprise particles selected from a group consisting of electrons, protons, and alpha particles.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the charged particles comprise electrons, and wherein the electrons have energies of about 40 kV to 120 kV.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hexagonal-shaped pore or the parallelogram-shaped pore in the sheet h-BN has a dimension of about 1 nanometer to 3 nanometers across the hexagonal-shaped pore or the parallelogram-shaped pore.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises a transition metal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises a metal selected from a group consisting of iron, cobalt, and nickel.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sheet of h-BN is heated to a temperature of about 700° C. in operation (c).

9. The material of claim 1 , wherein the sheet of h-BN comprises a monolayer of h-BN.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is heated using a laser in operation (b).

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst reacts with the sheet of h-BN to form the defect in operation (b).

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises a single atom of the catalyst.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises a cluster of atoms of the catalyst.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises a nanoparticle.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst has dimensions of about 1 nanometer or less than about 1 nanometer.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein photolithography is used to define an area of the sheet of h-BN on which the catalyst is deposited in operation (b).

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the charged particles comprise oxygen ions, nitrogen ions, argon ions, or gallium ions.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein defect in the sheet of h-BN is irradiated with charged particles for about 15 seconds to 60 seconds in operation (d).

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
functionalizing the hexagonal-shaped pore or the parallelogram-shaped pore in the sheet of h-BN.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is deposited on the sheet of h-BN in operation (b) by evaporation, chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, or sputtering.

Assignees

• Zettl Alexander K
• Dunn Gabriel P
• Gilbert Stephen M
• Univ California

Inventors

• Zettl Alexander K
• Dunn Gabriel P
• Gilbert Stephen M

Classifications

• C12Q1/6869 Primary

  Methods for sequencing · CPC title

• G01N33/48721

  Investigating individual macromolecules, e.g. by translocation through nanopores (Coulter counters in general G01N15/12; fabrication methods for nanoscale apertures B81B1/00; sequencing of nucleic acids C12Q1/68) · CPC title

• C12Q2565/631

  being a biochannel or pore · CPC title