Effect of low-energy ion bombardment on structural and optical properties of gold functionalized hBN nanosheets

Abstract

This work reports the effect of low-energy ion (30 KeV Si−1) bombardment on the structural and optical properties of gold-functionalized hexagonal boron nitride (Au-hBN) nanosheets. FE-SEM and XRD results indicate the successful synthesis of highly crystalline Au-hBN nanosheets. The grain size modulation and strain variation in Au-hBN nanosheets with increasing ion fluence clearly indicate defect-induced structural modifications. The optical properties of Au-hBN are investigated by Raman and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. A systematic drop in the band gap and gradual rise in the Urbach energy of Au-hBN nanosheets with increasing fluence is observed. In addition, the FTIR results reveal the growth of cBN, eBN and wBN phases after irradiation. The theoretical simulations are done to study the defect formation and estimate the damage yields. The experimental and computational results establish the efficacy of the low-energy ion bombardment approach in systematically altering the structural and optical behavior of Au-hBN nanosheets.