Graded h-BNC for nanoscale antifouling

TQ Ying and JT Leng and Y Chen and TC Chang, APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE, 675, 160941 (2024).

DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2024.160941

Although considerable efforts have been made in various fields for surface cleaning, keeping solid surfaces from nanoscale contamination remains extremely challenging. It is demonstrated here, based on molecular dynamics simulations, that graded hexagonal boron- nitride/graphene (h-BNC) h-BNC) can be an intrinsic and robust antifouling coating material. It is shown that nanoobjects in both solid and liquid forms can move spontaneously on the graded h-BNC toward the direction of decreasing carbon content. The driving mechanism is attributed to the gradient in van der Waals potential induced by the gradient in carbon content. The graded structure of graded h- BNC allows for its use in robust nanoscale surface cleaning and offers new opportunities for the development of antifouling coatings.

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