(406a) DNA-Wrapped Boron Nitride Nanotubes in Alcohol/Water Mixture Systems: Experimental and Simulation Study

Aligned films of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) have potential applications in thermal interface materials and electronic and optoelectronic devices due to their promising optical, mechanical, and thermal properties. We previously reported dispersions of BNNTs via probe tip sonication in aqueous solutions of sequence-controlled single-stranded DNA. However, the harsh ultrasonication may cause defects and cutting of nanotubes, which fundamentally affect final properties of their macroscopic assemblies. In this work, we demonstrated a simple and scaled-up dispersion process to produce DNA-wrapped BNNT hybrids (DNA-BNNTs) using a cheaper, natural DNA source by a mild bath sonication in various alcohol/water mixture systems including methanol, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol. Molecular dynamics simulations were utilized to better understand the solvation behaviour of BNNTs in a range of alcohol/water mixtures. Moreover, length distributions of BNNTs dispersed in alcohol/water mixtures were characterized by rheology and SEM imaging to better estimate the apparent length distributions of nanotubes. Our results elucidated the scalable and efficient dispersions of BNNTs which plays a vital role in fundamentally improving the final properties of macroscopic assemblies of BNNTs.