Electronic properties of graphene nanoribbons embedded in boron nitride sheets

Using first principles calculations, we investigate the stabilities and electronic properties of graphene nanoribbons which are embedded in boron nitride (BN) sheets. We find that carbon atoms doped in BN sheets have stable hexagonal configurations and can form one-dimensional nanoribbons under suitable chemical potential conditions. All the armchair graphene nanoribbons embedded in BN sheets are semiconductors. While for the zigzag ones, the wide nanoribbons become half-metals. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3234374]