Zhenghong Gao

Isolation of Individual Boron Nitride Nanotubes via Peptide Wrapping

The isolation of individual boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) in aqueous phases has been achieved for the first time from raw materials based on the combination of peptide wrapping with a sonication procedure. Atomic force microscopic observations revealed the representative height and length of individual BNNTs. Fluorescence and infrared absorption spectra suggested the strong pi-pi interactions between BNNTs and the peptide. The absorption maxima of BNNTs were significantly blue-shifted from 200 nm for the original BNNTs to 193 nm. The modulation of the BNNT band gap with peptide wrapping promises potential applications of the peptide/BNNT complexes to various nanotechnologies.

Noncovalent Functionalization of Disentangled Boron Nitride Nanotubes with Flavin Mononucleotides for Strong and Stable Visible-Light Emission in Aqueous Solution

Strong and stable visible-light-emitting boron nitride nanotube (BNNT)/biomolecule nanohybrids were successfully fabricated via noncovalent functionalization of BNNTs with flavin mononucleotides (FMN). Atomic force microscopy showed excellent dispersion of the nanohybrids in aqueous solution. Infrared absorption spectroscopy revealed strong π-π stacking interactions between FMN and BNNT sidewalls. Importantly, the fluorescence spectra revealed that the nanohybrids were highly fluorescent in the visible-light spectral range. Moreover, this fluorescence had unique pH-dependent and thermally stable properties. These nanohybrids might be used to construct novel fluorescence imaging probes that function over a wide pH and temperature range.

Noncovalent Functionalization of Boron Nitride Nanotubes in Aqueous Media Opens Application Roads in Nanobiomedicine

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are of intense scientific interest due to their unique physiochemical properties and prospective applications in various nanotechnologies, particularly nanobiomedicine. A critical problem hampering the application processing of BNNTs is the outer sidewall functionalization, which is primarily acquired to lead BNNTs dispersible in various solvents. Furthermore, the surface of BNNTs should be intelligently designed and precisely controlled to satisfy the specific demands of different applications. For these purposes, covalent and noncovalent approaches have been factually developed to help to extend the full potential of applications. Importantly, wrapping the outermost sidewall of BNNTs with either water-soluble polymers or biomolecules through weak noncovalent interactions has been proved to be efficient for giving BNNTs considerable dispersity in aqueous media, and endowing novel chemical functions to BNNTs with almost no change in their pristine physiochemical properties. This article summarizes recent progress in this field and addresses future perspectives on the noncovalent functionalization of BNNTs for promoting their application processing in various bio-related nanotechnologies.

Nucleotide-assisted decoration of boron nitride nanotubes with semiconductor quantum dots endows valuable visible-light emission in aqueous solution

We report that nucleotides disentangle and disperse multiwalled boron nitride nanotubes in aqueous solution via π–π stacking interactions. Quantum dot-boron nitride nanotube hybrid materials were produced by using guanosine 5′-monophosphate as a linking reagent. These hybrid materials are highly promising for biomedical imaging technologies.

Functionalization of boron nitride nanotubes for applications in nanobiomedicine

Chemical approaches for the functionalization of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are discussed, including covalent functionalization, noncovalent functionalization, defect reaction, and inner filling BNNTs, in regards of the multiple utility of these approaches for improving the availability of BNNTs as innovative biomaterials, by integrating new functions and properties toward several applications in nanobiomedicine.