Metal-free ferromagnetic metal and intrinsic spin semiconductor: two different kinds of SWCNT functionalized BN nanoribbons

Uncoiling of helical boron nitride-graphene nanoribbons in a single-walled carbon nanotube

Molecular dynamics simulation has been employed to study the encapsulation of boron nitride-graphene nanoribbons (BNCNRs) in a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT). The simulation results show that a helical BNCNR with large curvature can uncoil repeatedly and spontaneously in the SWNT, like the unwinding of the DNA in the nucleus. The uncoiling of the BNCNRs is accompanied by a system energy exchange between non-bonding energy and elastic potential energy due to the competition between the induction of graphene nanoribbon (GNR) segments and the resistance of boron nitride nanoribbon (BNNR) segments. The electronic transmission capacity of the BNCNR changes with the helical angle of the BNCNR, suggesting a changing electrical signal in the uncoiling and spiraling process. This study provides the opportunity to understand the encapsulation of the BNCNR in the SWNT in detail.

BN nanoflake quantum-dot arrays: structural stability, and electronic and half-metallic properties

One-dimensional arrays constructed by triangular h-BN nanoflakes are studied. It is found that the linking manner plays a crucial role in electronic and half-metallic properties and the traversed electric field further enhances half-metallicity.

Realizing diverse electronic and magnetic properties in hybrid zigzag BNC nanoribbons via hydrogenation

By means of first-principles DFT computations, we systematically investigate the geometries, stabilities, electronic and magnetic properties of fully and partially hydrogenated zigzag BNC nanoribbons (fH-zBNCNRs and pH-zBNCNRs) with interfacial N-C or B-C connections. It is revealed that in the lowest-lying configuration of hybrid fH-zBNCNRs, the constituent C and BN segments can possess respective chair and boat conformations and both of them are connected by the chair mode, independent of the N-C/B-C interface. Changing the ribbon width and the ratio of BN to C can endow these fH-zBNCNR systems with abundant electronic and magnetic properties involving nonmagnetic (NM) semiconductivity, ferromagnetic (FM) metallicity, antiferromagnetic (AFM) metallicity as well as AFM half-metallicity. Besides, manipulating the hydrogenation pattern and ratio can also result in rich electronic and magnetic behaviors in pH-zBNCNRs, where NM semiconductivity, AFM semiconductivity, AFM metallicity and even AFM spin gapless semiconductor are observed. Additionally, the origin of the magnetism in these hydrogenated zBNCNRs is analyzed in detail. Finally, all of these hydrogenated BNC structures can possess a favorable formation energy, large binding energy per hydrogen atom and high thermal stability, indicating the great possibility of their experimental realization by hydrogenating pristine zBNCNRs. These valuable insights can be advantageous for promoting hybrid BNC-based nanomaterials in the applications of spintronics and multifunctional nanodevices.

Room-temperature metal-free ferromagnetism, stability, and spin transport properties in topologically fluorinated silicon carbide nanotubes

A new topologically fluorinated armchair single-walled silicon carbide nanotube has been predicted via first principles density functional theory (DFT) and nonequilibrium Green's function method, as well as ab initio molecular dynamic (MD) simulations.

Hybrid structures of a BN nanoribbon/single-walled carbon nanotube: ab initio study

Hybrid structures of a zigzag edge BN nanoribbon/single-walled carbon nanotube, have been studied via standard spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT) calculations as well as ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.