As a materials science expert with a focus on novel materials and their applications, I can provide you with an overview of the uses of wurtzite boron nitride (w-BN). Wurtzite boron nitride is a crystalline form of boron nitride, which is structurally similar to wurtzite, a common crystal structure for many materials including some forms of zinc, cadmium, and magnesium.

Wurtzite boron nitride is known for its exceptional properties, which include:


1. Extreme hardness: It is one of the hardest materials known, making it useful for applications that require wear resistance.

2. Thermal stability: It has high thermal conductivity and can withstand high temperatures without decomposing, which is beneficial for applications in harsh thermal environments.

3. Chemical stability: It is chemically inert, meaning it does not easily react with other substances, which is important for applications where material integrity is crucial.

4. Optical properties: It has unique optical characteristics, which can be exploited in the field of optics and photonics.

5. Electrical insulating properties: It is an excellent insulator, which makes it suitable for use in electrical applications where insulation is required.

Due to these properties, wurtzite boron nitride is used in a variety of applications, such as:

- Cutting tools: Its hardness makes it suitable for use in cutting and grinding applications.
- Thermal management: It can be used in heat sinks and thermal interface materials due to its thermal conductivity.
- Coatings: As a coating material for protection against wear and corrosion.
- Electronic devices: It can be used as a substrate or insulating layer in certain electronic components.
- Optoelectronics: Its optical properties make it a candidate for use in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and other optoelectronic devices.

It's important to note that while wurtzite boron nitride has these potential applications, the actual use in industry can be limited by factors such as the cost of production, availability, and the development of suitable processing techniques.

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The cubic (sphalerite structure) variety analogous to diamond is called c-BN; it is softer than diamond, but its thermal and chemical stability is superior. The rare wurtzite BN modification is similar to lonsdaleite and may even be harder than the cubic form. ... Boron nitride has potential use in nanotechnology.read more >>