Large-scale mechanical peeling of boron nitride nanosheets by low-energy ball milling: Low-energy ball milling is a simple and effective way to mechanically cleave high-quality nanosheets say scientists from Australia, Republic of Ireland and Croatia. Mechanical cleavage by Scotch tape was the first method to produce graphene and is still widely used in laboratories; however, it suffers from a very low yield. In this hot article a team led by Lu Hua Li have tailored ball milling conditions to produce gentle shear forces that produce high quality boron nitride nanosheets in high yield and efficiency. The team claim that this method could be used to produce nanosheets from any layered material. (J. Mater. Chem., 2011, 21, 11862-11866)
In situ: growth nanocomposites composed of rodlike ZnO nanocrystals arranged by nanoparticles in a self-assembling diblock copolymer for heterojunction optoelectronics: In this hot article a team from Nanchang University led by Yiwang Chen and Lie Chen develop a method to grow nanocomposites made of rodlike ZnO nanocrystals arranged by ZnO nanoparticles. The nanocomposites are made in situ with a self-assembling diblock copolymer and are used in a hybrid solar cell. (J. Mater. Chem., 2011, 21, 11886-11894)
Polymorphism, structural characterisation and electrical properties of Na2Nb4O11: Na2Nb4O11 transforms from R3 c to C2/c on cooling and shows a tendency towards low temperature antiferroelectric behaviour say a team of UK and Spanish scientists. A comparison of the high and room temperature structures shows clear evidence of antiparallel atomic displacements in the room temperature structure which explains the tendency towards low temperature antiferroelectric behaviour. (J. Mater. Chem., 2011, 21, 12096-12102)
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