Measurement of wetting properties of individual boron nitride nanotubes with the wilhelmy method using a nanotube-based force sensor.

The wetting properties of individual boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) were studied with the Wilhelmy method in ambient conditions. A nanotube-based force sensor having a force resolution of 0.1 nN, calibrated with the wetting force method, was used to study the interactions between BNNTs and liquids in situ. The static contact angles of the liquids on BNNTs were evaluated, and the surface tension of the BNNT along with its surface tension components was determined based on the Owens and Wendt method and the van Oss-Chaudhury-Good acid-base theory.