Molecule ordering triggered by boron nitride nanotubes and Green chemical functionalization of boron nitride nanotubes

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) were found to induce a new phase in ionic liquids and form gels. The new phases indicate ordering of the ionic liquids' molecules on the surface of BNNTs. An elastic network exists within the gels, which is suggested to originate from a pseudo-X-linked solid structure consisting of BNNT cores surrounded by ordered molecules of the ionic liquids. In order to understand the driving force behind the new phase and gel formations, first-principle calculations were performed. These revealed that the regarded ensembles are induced by the cation-pi interactions between BNNTs and an ionic liquid. As an application of the newly formed gels, a green, that is, environmentally friendly, scalable, and rapid process was designed to modify BNNTs via an S(N)2 nucleophilic substitution reaction at room temperature.