Hexagonal boron nitride on transition metal surfaces

• DOI: 10.1007/s00214-013-1350-z
• Publication Date: 2013-02-26T12:47:16Z
• Authors: Jaime Gómez Díaz; Yun Ding; Ralph Koitz; Ari P. Seitsonen; Marcella Iannuzzi; Jürg Hutter
• Keywords: 10120 Department of Chemistry; 540 Chemistry; 02 engineering and technology; Physical and Theoretical Chemistry; 1606 Physical and Theoretical Chemistry; 0210 nano-technology

We validate a computational setup based on density functional theory to investigate hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) monolayers grown on different transition metals exposing hexagonal surfaces. An extended assessment of our approach for the characterization of the geometrical and electronic structure of such systems is performed. Due to the lattice mismatch with the substrate, the monolayers can form Moire-type superstructures with very long periodicities on the surface. Thus, proper models of these interfaces require very large simulation cells (more than 1,000 atoms) and an accurate description of interactions that are modulated with the specific registry of h-BN on the metal. We demonstrate that efficient and accurate calculations can be performed in such large systems using Gaussian basis sets and dispersion corrections to the (semi-)local density functionals. Four different metallic substrates, Rh(111), Ru(0001), Cu(111), and Ni(111), are explicitly considered, and the results are compared with previous experimental and computational studies.