Facile Growth of h‐BN Films by Using Surface‐Activated h‐BN Powders as Precursors

Abstract Atomically thick hexagonal boron nitride ( h ‐BN) films have gained increasing interest, such as nanoelectronics and protection coatings. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been proven to be an efficient method for synthesizing h ‐BN thin films, but its precursors are still limited. Here, it is reported that a novel and easily available precursor, surface‐activated h ‐BN (As‐hBN), with NH 3 /N 2 as an additional nitrogen source is used for CVD growth of monolayer h ‐BN films on the Cu foils. The as‐grown h ‐BN films can significantly enhance the anti‐oxidation ability of copper. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the reactivity of the As‐hBN precursors is attributed to the decomposition of unstable BO 3 and O‐terminal edges on the surface under H 2 atmosphere. This method provides a more reliable approach for fabricating h ‐BN films.