Electrical Transport and Network Percolation in Graphene and Boron Nitride Mixed-Platelet Structures

Percolating network of mixed 2D nanomaterials (2DNs) can leverage the unique electronic structures of different 2DNs, their interfacial doping, manipulable conduction pathways, and local traps. Here, we report on the percolation mechanism and electro-capacitive transport pathways of mixed-platelet network of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), two isostructural and isoelectronic 2DNs. The transport mechanism is explained in terms of electron hopping through isolated hBN defect traps between rGO (possibly via electron tunneling/hopping through "funneling" points). With optical bandgaps of 4.57 and 4.08 eV for the hBN-domains and 2.18 eV for the rGO domains, the network of hBN with rGO exhibits Poole-Frenkel emission-based transport with mean hopping gap of 1.12 nm (∼hBN trilayer) and an activation barrier of ∼15 ± 0.7 meV. Further, hBN (1.7 pF) has a 6-fold lower capacitance than 1:1 hBN:rGO, which has a resistance 2 orders of magnitude higher than that of rGO (1.46 MΩ). These carrier transport results can be applied to other multi-2DN networks for development of next-generation functional 2D-devices.