Half-metallicity of C/BN hybrid nanoribbons containing a topological defective interface

•Hybrid structures composing of armchair GNR and zigzag BNNR with an array of pentagons and heptagons.•Half-metallic or semiconducting properties depend on the edge structure and ribbon width.•Phase transition from ferromagnetic to anti-ferromagnetic states can be induced by applying uniaxial strain.

The electronic structures of novel C/BN hybrid nanoribbons constructed by joining an armchair graphene nanoribbon and a zigzag boron nitride nanoribbon with an array of pentagons and heptagons are investigated using first-principles calculations. We found that the electronic properties of these hybrid nanoribbons are sensitive to the edge structures. Robust ferromagnetism is formed at the N edges, whereas the boron-edged nanoribbons are semiconducting without spin-polarization. Half-metallicity can be achieved in the nitrogen-edged nanoribbons. Additionally, a ferromagnetism-antiferromagnetism transition takes place as a uniaxial external strain is applied to the nitrogen-edged nanoribbons. The tunable electronic structures, especially the half-metallicity of these C/BN hybrid nanoribbons are quite promising for the applications in spintronic devices.