On-surface synthesis of different boron-nitrogen-carbon heterostructures from dimethylamine borane

We present here a novel approach to achieve the selective formation of different in-plane boron-nitrogen-carbon heterostructures on Pt(111) using a single molecular precursor, namely dimethylamine borane (DMAB). Through thermally activated decomposition and sequential bond activation it is possible to control intermolecular coupling and obtain alternatively a quasi-free-standing continuous monolayer formed by complementary hexagonal boron nitride and graphene (G) large-size domains, or a pure or doped G monolayer, or hybridized layers with non-planar bonds. The selective bond-bond coupling is achieved by controlling the substrate temperature either during or after the deposition of DMAB. This allows on-surface synthesis of B-N-C materials with tunable composition.

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