Aqueous dispersions of few-layer-thick chemically modified magnesium diboride nanosheets by ultrasonication assisted exfoliation

The discovery of graphene has led to a rising interest in seeking quasi two-dimensional allotropes of several elements and inorganic compounds. Boron, carbon’s neighbour in the periodic table, presents a curious case in its ability to be structured as graphene. Although it cannot independently constitute a honeycomb planar structure, it forms a graphenic arrangement in association with electron-donor elements. This is exemplified in magnesium diboride (MgB(2)): an inorganic layered compound comprising boron honeycomb planes alternated by Mg atoms. Till date, MgB(2) has been primarily researched for its superconducting properties; it hasn’t been explored for the possibility of its exfoliation. Here we show that ultrasonication of MgB(2) in water results in its exfoliation to yield few-layer-thick Mg-deficient hydroxyl-functionalized nanosheets. The hydroxyl groups enable an electrostatically stabilized aqueous dispersion and create a heterogeneity leading to an excitation wavelength dependent photoluminescence. These chemically modified MgB(2) nanosheets exhibit an extremely small absorption coefficient of 2.9 ml mg(−1) cm(−1) compared to graphene and its analogs. This ability to exfoliate MgB(2) to yield nanosheets with a chemically modified lattice and properties distinct from the parent material presents a fundamentally new perspective to the science of MgB(2) and forms a first foundational step towards exfoliating metal borides.