Boron nitride with high zeta potential via plasma processing in solution for preparation of polyrotaxane composite

Plasma processing in solution is effective for the preparation of composites. To optimize the plasma processing in solution, a method that can be used to sufficiently evaluate the surface modifications is necessary. In this study, to identify such a method, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) particles modified by plasma processing in solution and exhibiting different zeta potentials were used to prepare a polyrotaxane composite. Plasma processing in a hydroquinone solution yielded hBN particles with a high zeta potential, named HQpBN, and x-ray computed tomography showed a uniform dispersion of the HQpBN/polyrotaxane composite. The tensile strength and elongation of the HQpBN/polyrotaxane composite were twice as high as those of an unmodified hBN/polyrotaxane composite, in which hBN particles aggregated. These results demonstrate that the zeta potential of the modified particles can be used as an indicator to guide optimal surface modification during plasma processing in solution for the preparation of homogeneous composites.