Intrinsic Half-Metallicity in Modified Graphene Nanoribbons (original) (raw)
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Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2008
We perform density functional calculations on one-dimensional zigzag edge graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs) of different widths, with and without edge doping including semilocal exchange correlations. Our study reveals that, although the ground state of edge-passivated (with hydrogen) ZGNRs prefers to be anti-ferromagnetic, the doping of both of the edges with boron atoms stabilizes the system in a ferromagnetic ground state. Both the local and semilocal exchange correlations result in half-metallicity in edge-passivated ZGNRs at a finite cross-ribbon electric field. However, the ZGNR with boron edges shows half-metallic behavior irrespective of the ribbon width even in the absence of electric field and this property sustains for any field strength, opening a huge possibility of applications in spintronics.
Half-metallicity in graphene nanoribbons with topological defects at edge
The Journal of Chemical Physics, 2012
First-principles calculations have been performed to investigate the electronic properties of graphene nanoribbons with topological line defects composed of octagons and fused pentagons. We find that the edge-passivated zigzag graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs) with the line defects along the edge show half-metallicity as the line defect is close to one edge. The electronic properties of the ZGNRs with line defects can be tuned by changing the ribbon width and the position of the line defect. When the position of the line defect changes, there are transitions from an antiferromagnetic semiconductor to an antiferromagnetic half-metal, and then to a ferromagnetic metal, suggesting the potential applications of the system in spintronic devices.
Edge-functionalized and substitutionally doped graphene nanoribbons: Electronic and spin properties
Physical Review B, 2008
Graphene nanoribbons are the counterpart of carbon nanotubes in graphene-based nanoelectronics. We investigate the electronic properties of chemically modified ribbons by means of density functional theory. We observe that chemical modifications of zigzag ribbons can break the spin degeneracy. This promotes the onset of a semiconducting-metal transition, or of a half-semiconducting state, with the two spin channels having a different band gap, or of a spin-polarized half-semiconducting state, where the spins in the valence and conduction bands are oppositely polarized. Edge functionalization of armchair ribbons gives electronic states a few eV away from the Fermi level and does not significantly affect their band gap. N and B produce different effects, depending on the position of the substitutional site. In particular, edge substitutions at low density do not significantly alter the band gap, while bulk substitution promotes the onset of semiconducting-metal transitions. Pyridinelike defects induce a semiconducting-metal transition.
Enhanced Half-Metallicity in Edge-Oxidized Zigzag Graphene Nanoribbons
Nano Letters, 2007
We present a novel comprehensive first-principles theoretical study of the electronic properties and relative stabilities of edge-oxidized zigzag graphene nanoribbons. The oxidation schemes considered include hydroxyl, carboxyl, ether, and ketone groups. Using screened exchange density functional theory, we show that these oxidized ribbons are more stable than hydrogen-terminated nanoribbons except for the case of the etheric groups. The stable oxidized configurations maintain a spin-polarized ground state with antiferromagnetic ordering localized at the edges, similar to the fully hydrogenated counterparts. More important, edge oxidation is found to lower the onset electric field required to induce half-metallic behavior and extend the overall field range at which the systems remain half-metallic. Once the half-metallic state is reached, further increase of the external electric field intensity produces a rapid decrease in the spin magnetization up to a point where the magnetization is quenched completely. Finally, we find that oxygen containing edge groups have a minor effect on the energy difference between the antiferromagnetic ground state and the above-lying ferromagnetic state.
Results of the study of structural and electronic properties of the 8-ZGNR/h-BN(001) heterostructure by the pseudopotential method using plane waves within density functional theory are presented. Within one approximation the features of the spin state at the Fermi level are studied along with the role of the edge and substrate effects in the opening of the energy gap in the 8-ZGNR/h-BN(001) heterostructure in both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic orderings. The effect of a substrate made of hexagonal boron nitride was found for the first time. It consists in the opening of the energy gap in the π electron spectrum of the 8-ZGNR/h-BN(001) heterostructure for the ferromagnetic spin ordering. It is shown that the gap was 30 meV. Contributions of the edge effects of the graphene nanoribbon and the substrate to the energy gap formation are differentiated for the first time. It is found that in the 8-ZGNR/h-BN(001) heterostructure the dominant role in the opening of the energy gap at the Fermi level is played by the edge effects. However, when the nanoribbon width decreases, e.g., to six dimmers the substrate role in the gap opening increases and amounts to 45%. Local magnetic moments of carbon atoms are estimated. It is shown that small magnetic moments are induced on boron and nitrogen atoms at the interface.
Philosophical Magazine, 2014
As a possible way of modifying the intrinsic properties of graphene, we study the doping of graphene by embedded boron clusters with density functional theory. Cluster doping is technologically relevant as the cluster implantation technique can be readily applied to graphene. We find that B 7 clusters embedded into graphene and graphene nanoribbons are structurally stable and locally metallize the system. This is done both by the reduction of the Fermi energy and by the introduction of boron states near the Fermi level. A linear chain of boron clusters forms a metallic "wire" inside the graphene matrix. In a zigzag edge graphene nanoribbon, the cluster-related states tend to hybridize with the edge and bulk states. The magnetism in boron-doped graphene systems is generally very weak. The presence of boron clusters weakens the edge magnetism in zigzag edge graphene nanoribbon, rather than making the system appropriate for spintronics. Thus, the doping of graphene with the cluster implantation technique might be a viable technique to locally metallize graphene without destroying its attractive bulk properties. Downloaded by [Cankaya Universitesi] at 12:18 14 May 2014 1842 C. Özdogan et al.
Edge reconstructions induce magnetic and metallic behavior in zigzag graphene nanoribbons
Carbon, 2010
The edge reconstructions of zigzag graphene nanoribbons with one and two lines of alternating fused five and seven membered rings along one edge with hydrogen passivation are studied using first principles density functional theory. Reconstructions on one edge stabilize the systems in a metallic ground state with finite magnetic moment. The reconstructed edge suppresses the local spin density of atoms and contributes a finite density of states at the Fermi energy. Our study shows the possibilities of fabricating the metallic electrodes for semiconducting graphene devices with full control over their magnetic behavior without any lattice mismatch between leads and the channel.
A theoretical study of chemical doping and width effect on zigzag graphene nanoribbons
Physica E: Low-dimensional Systems and Nanostructures, 2009
The energetics and the electronic properties of nitrogen-and boron-doped graphene nanoribbons with zigzag edges have been investigated using density functional theory calculations. For the optimized geometry configurations, vibrational frequency analysis and wavefunction stability tests have been carried out. Different doping site optimizations for a model nanoribbon have been performed and formation energy values of these sites revealed that zigzag edgesite for both of the dopants were the most favorable one. The effect of doping on the molecular orbital energies, HOMO-LUMO distributions, and density of states have been studied as well. It is found that molecular orbital distributions for pure zigzag nanoribbons are located in the zigzag edges while they exhibit different behaviors for the doped cases.
Role of Vacancies in Zigzag Graphene Nanoribbons: An Ab Initio Study
Journal of Nano Research, 2014
We have studied the effects of vacancies on the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of zigzag-edged graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs). Our calculations were carried out using an abinitio density functional pseudopotential computational method combined with the generalized gradient approximation for the exchange-correlation functional. The equilibrium geometries, electronic charge spin density distributions, electronic band structures, and magnetic moments were examined in the presence of single vacancy and double vacancies. Structural optimization showed that vacancies induce substantial structural changes in ZGNRs. We found that introducing vacancies into ZGNR changes the spatial distribution of neighbor atoms, particularly those located around the vacancies. Our calculations showed that the vacancies have significant effect on the magnetization of ZGNR. The calculations showed that the changes in the structural geometry, the electronic structure and the magnetization of ZGNR...