Tuning the electronic properties of the SiC graphenylene by transition metal (Fe, Mn and Co) doping

This paper approaches the effect of the transition metal (TM) (Fe, Mn and Co) doping on the stability and the electronic properties of the SiC-based graphenylene (IGP-SiC). All TM dopants were shown to be more favorable at the Si site. The TM-doped IGP-SiC structures exhibit negative cohesive energies and remain in their shapes after ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations (300K), indicating both energetic and thermal stability, respectively. The band gap of IGP-SiC, 3.15 eV, is significantly affected by the TM doping, achieving energies of 1.27, 2.58 and 1.23 eV for Fe, Mn and Co, respectively, for the spin alpha channel. The substitutional doping enhances the surface reactivity, since the work function changes from 5.83 eV (IGP-SiC) to 5.44 (Fe), 5.39 (Mn) and 5.33 eV (Co). Our findings report that TM doping is an effective strategy to modulate the electronic properties of IGP-SiC, leading to a promising use in spintronics and optoelectronics.