Electrochemical properties of two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets prepared by hydrothermal method

Due to atomically thin layer structure and high surface area, 2D layered materials exhibit promising physical, chemical, thermal, mechanical, electrical, and optical properties suitable for device fabrication, thus rendering hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) the most versatile material, showing diverse applications. However, there are many different methods for its synthesis or exfoliation, among which liquid exfoliation is most explored. In this work, 2D-hBN ultrathin nanosheets have been prepared by hydrothermal method at an optimum temperature. The well-prepared 2D-hBN was characterized by Transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and UV–Visible absorption spectroscopy (UV–Vis). Furthermore, the electrochemical studies of the well-prepared nanosheets were characterized using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and impedance spectroscopic. The specific capacitance of the prepared nanosheet was found to be 83 F/g at 2 mV/s, which is 4 folded values. Proper exfoliation significantly provides thin transparent morphology for 2D-hBN nanosheets with active surface area, contributing to enhanced electrochemical behavior upon cycling. Also, 97% of coulombic efficiency was achieved after performing 2000 charge-discharge cycles, proving that the 2D-hBN material has an exciting electrochemical characteristic despite its higher bandgap. This work infers that as an electrode material, 2D-hBN nanosheets have better prospects in the field of energy storage application.