Hexagonal boron nitride
Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a lamellar dielectric material with striking similarities to graphite. Like graphite, it is available in bulk, in exfoliated form, for use as a lubricant[13]. The honeycomb structure of the h-BN lattice is well matched with the graphite lattice. The lattice constant of h-BN, at 0.250nm, is only 2% greater than that of graphite[14]. In light of this similarity, it has been suggested that graphene and h-BN domains may be combined within a single molecule to form single-molecule electronic devices[15]. The synthesis of fullerene-like h-BN nanostructures by substitution of BN within fullerenes has been demonstrated[16]. It would be interesting to attempt this same h-BN substitution reaction with graphene origami. There is a tantalizing possibility that we could selectively perforate curved graphite at sites of high curvature and fill in the gaps with h-BN. A precedent for in-plane h-BN/graphene junction formation may exist in the fullerene literature[17].
Hexagonal boron nitride