Abstract
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Upon flowing hot steam over hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) bulk powder, efficient exfoliation and hydroxylation of BN occur simultaneously. Through effective hydrogen bonding with water and N-isopropylacrylamide, edge-hydroxylated BN nanosheets dramatically improve the dimensional change and dye release of this temperature-sensitive hydrogel and thereby enhance its efficacy in bionic, soft robotic, and drug-delivery applications.