Synthesis of one monolayer of hexagonal boron nitride on Ni(111) from B-trichloroborazine (ClBNH)3

Single-layer h-BN films may be grown on Ni(111) by using B-trichloroborazine (ClBNH)(3). Scanning tunneling microscopy shows perfect monolayers with a very low density of defects. This way of producing stoichiometric, ultimately thin h-BN layers is an alternate route to the use of borazine (HBNH)(3). The h-BN growth patterns indicate a reaction mechanism that proceeds via six-membered ring opening of these cyclic BN molecules. A set of density functional calculations for B-trichloroborazine, borazine, and N-trichloroborazine yields bond energies and bond lengths for these molecules.