Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanosheets: Properties, Preparation and Applications in Thermal Management

TL;DR

This paper reviews hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets as a promising material for improving thermal management in electronics.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of BNNS synthesis, properties, and applications in thermal management.

Findings

BNNSs offer superior thermal conductivity and mechanical strength for thermal management.

Various synthesis methods affect nanosheet properties like thickness and crystallinity.

Challenges include large-area growth and interfacial engineering for practical deployment.

Abstract

Hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) have emerged as one of the most promising materials for next-generation thermal management, driven by the intensifying heat dissipation demands of highly integrated electronics. While conventional polymer-based packaging materials are lightweight and electrically insulating, their intrinsically low thermal conductivity severely limits effectiveness in high-power devices. The remarkable thermal transport, wide bandgap, chemical robustness, and mechanical strength of BNNSs offer a compelling solution. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the structural and physical foundations that underpin the anisotropic yet exceptional thermal properties of bulk h-BN and BNNSs. We examine major synthesis routes including tape exfoliation, ball milling, liquid-phase exfoliation, chemical vapor deposition, and metal–organic chemical vapor deposition, highlighting how process mechanisms govern nanosheet thickness, defect density, crystallinity, and scalability. Particular emphasis is placed on the advantages of BNNSs in thermal management systems, from their use as high-efficiency thermally conductive fillers and advanced thermal interface materials. We conclude by examining key challenges including large-area growth, filler alignment, and interfacial engineering, and by presenting future research directions that could enable the practical deployment of BNNSs-based thermal management technologies.

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