title: Hydroxylation of a metal-supported hexagonal boron nitride monolayer by oxygen induced water dissociation.
abstract: Hydroxylated hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheets exhibit potential application in nanocomposites and functional surface coating. Our first-principles calculations reveal possible hydroxylation of a h-BN monolayer on a Ni substrate by surface O adatom induced spontaneous dissociation of water molecules. Here one H atom is split from a water molecule by bonding with the O adatom on the B atom and the resulting O-H radical then bonds with an adjacent B atom, which leads to two hydroxyl groups formed on h-BN/Ni. Hydroxylation slightly influences the electronic properties of a Ni-supported h-BN layer. Similar water dissociation and hydroxylation can occur on the surface of O functionalized h-BN/Cu depending on the O adsorption configuration. Metal substrates play an important catalytic role in enhancing the chemical reactivity of O adatoms on h-BN with water molecules through transferring additional charges to them.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures and MOE Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices, Institute of Nanoscience, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, China. yfguo@nuaa.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yufeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Wanlin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guo