Modification of the Band Gap of Hexagonal Boron Nitride in Contact with Graphene Through Systematic Annealing

Kenneth Kipkemoi Ketili; Simon Waweru Mugo; Richard Makori Ongeri

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13

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Modification of the Band Gap of Hexagonal Boron Nitride in Contact with Graphene Through Systematic Annealing

Kenneth Kipkemoi Ketili^*, Simon Waweru Mugo, Richard Makori Ongeri

Published in International Journal of Materials Science and Applications (Volume 15, Issue 1)

Received: 21 January 2026 Accepted: 31 January 2026 Published: 11 February 2026

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Abstract

Graphene/hexagonal boron nitride heterostructures provides an effective platform for tuning graphene’s electronic and optical properties while preserving its inherently high carrier mobility. In this work, the effect of post-growth thermal annealing on the optical band gap of G/h-BN heterostructures is investigated to examine temperature-dependent modifications at the graphene–substrate interface. The optical response of the annealed heterostructures was characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy over the spectral range of 200–800 nm. The absorption spectra reveal a systematic red shift of the absorption edge with increasing annealing temperature, indicating a progressive modification of the electronic structure. Tauc method was used in the approximation of the optical band gap where a reduction of the optical band gap from 2.86 eV for the lower annealing temperature to 2.17 eV at the highest annealing temperature was observed. This act is associated to thermally induced interfacial relaxation, including changes in stacking configuration, and moirés super lattice formation. These processes lead to a reduction in substrate-induced symmetry breaking in graphene, thereby influencing its optical transitions. The findings contribute to a better understanding of temperature-driven interfacial effects in van der Waals heterostructures and provide insights relevant to the development of graphene-based optoelectronic and thermoelectric devices designed to operate under varying thermal conditions.

Published in	International Journal of Materials Science and Applications (Volume 15, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13
Page(s)	26-29
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Graphene, Annealing, Stacking

References

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[2]	Jingang Wang, Fengcai Ma, Wenjie Liang, and Mengtao Sun (2017). Electrical properties and applications of graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, and graphene/h-BN heterostructures. Materials Today Physics, 2, 6-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtphys.2017.07.001
[3]	Matthew Yankowitz, Jiamin Xue, and B J LeRoy (2014). Graphene on hexagonal Boron Nitride. Condense Matter 26 (303201).
[4]	Dean C., Young, and Meric. Boron nitride substrates for high-quality graphene electronics (2010). Nature Nanotech 5, 722–726. https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2010.172
[5]	Erjun Kan, Hao Ren, Fang Wu, Zhenyu Li, Ruifeng Lu, Chuanyun Xiao, Kaiming Deng, and Jinlong Yang (2012). Why the Band Gap of Graphene Is Tunable on Hexagonal Boron Nitride. The Journal of Physical Chemistry 116(4). https://doi.org/10.1021/jp2106988
[6]	Wang Duoming, and Chen (2016). Thermally Induced Graphene Rotation on Hexagonal Boron Nitride. AmericanPhysicalSociety 116(12) https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.126101
[7]	Jung J., DaSilva A., and MacDonald (2015). Origin of band gaps in graphene on hexagonal boron nitride. Nat Commun 6 (6308). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7308
[8]	Katsnelson Mi (2020). The electronic structure of ideal graphene. Cambridge University Press; 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108617567.003
[9]	Toksumakov A. N., Ermolaev G. A., and Tatmyshevskiy M. K. Anomalous optical response of graphene on hexagonal boron nitride substrates. Commun Phys 6(13). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01129-9
[10]	Lu Z. et al. (2025). Extended quantum anomalous Hall states in graphene/hBN moiré superlattices. Nature 637, 1090–1095. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08470-1
[11]	H. Ma et al. (2025). Precisely tuning band gaps of graphene/h-BN lateral heterostructures toward enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Phys Chem Chem Phys 27, 16881-16890.
[12]	Nguyen Thi Han et al. (2023). Optical excitations of graphene-like materials: group III-nitrides. Nanoscale Advances 5, 5077-5093.
[13]	A review (2024). A Review of Bandgap Engineering and Prediction in 2D Material Heterostructures: A DFT Perspective. Int J Mol Sci 25(23) 13104.
[14]	Visible-frequency plasmonic enhancement at the edge of graphene/h-BN heterostructures (2024). Carbon 219, 118836.
[15]	Research progress on the epitaxial growth of h-BN on substrates (2025). Nanoscale Advances 7, 2395-2417.

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Ketili, K. K., Mugo, S. W., Ongeri, R. M. (2026). Modification of the Band Gap of Hexagonal Boron Nitride in Contact with Graphene Through Systematic Annealing. International Journal of Materials Science and Applications, 15(1), 26-29. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13

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ACS Style

Ketili, K. K.; Mugo, S. W.; Ongeri, R. M. Modification of the Band Gap of Hexagonal Boron Nitride in Contact with Graphene Through Systematic Annealing. Int. J. Mater. Sci. Appl. 2026, 15(1), 26-29. doi: 10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13

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AMA Style

Ketili KK, Mugo SW, Ongeri RM. Modification of the Band Gap of Hexagonal Boron Nitride in Contact with Graphene Through Systematic Annealing. Int J Mater Sci Appl. 2026;15(1):26-29. doi: 10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13,
  author = {Kenneth Kipkemoi Ketili and Simon Waweru Mugo and Richard Makori Ongeri},
  title = {Modification of the Band Gap of Hexagonal Boron Nitride in Contact with Graphene Through Systematic Annealing},
  journal = {International Journal of Materials Science and Applications},
  volume = {15},
  number = {1},
  pages = {26-29},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijmsa.20261501.13},
  abstract = {Graphene/hexagonal boron nitride heterostructures provides an effective platform for tuning graphene’s electronic and optical properties while preserving its inherently high carrier mobility. In this work, the effect of post-growth thermal annealing on the optical band gap of G/h-BN heterostructures is investigated to examine temperature-dependent modifications at the graphene–substrate interface. The optical response of the annealed heterostructures was characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy over the spectral range of 200–800 nm. The absorption spectra reveal a systematic red shift of the absorption edge with increasing annealing temperature, indicating a progressive modification of the electronic structure. Tauc method was used in the approximation of the optical band gap where a reduction of the optical band gap from 2.86 eV for the lower annealing temperature to 2.17 eV at the highest annealing temperature was observed. This act is associated to thermally induced interfacial relaxation, including changes in stacking configuration, and moirés super lattice formation. These processes lead to a reduction in substrate-induced symmetry breaking in graphene, thereby influencing its optical transitions. The findings contribute to a better understanding of temperature-driven interfacial effects in van der Waals heterostructures and provide insights relevant to the development of graphene-based optoelectronic and thermoelectric devices designed to operate under varying thermal conditions.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Modification of the Band Gap of Hexagonal Boron Nitride in Contact with Graphene Through Systematic Annealing
AU  - Kenneth Kipkemoi Ketili
AU  - Simon Waweru Mugo
AU  - Richard Makori Ongeri
Y1  - 2026/02/11
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13
T2  - International Journal of Materials Science and Applications
JF  - International Journal of Materials Science and Applications
JO  - International Journal of Materials Science and Applications
SP  - 26
EP  - 29
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2327-2643
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13
AB  - Graphene/hexagonal boron nitride heterostructures provides an effective platform for tuning graphene’s electronic and optical properties while preserving its inherently high carrier mobility. In this work, the effect of post-growth thermal annealing on the optical band gap of G/h-BN heterostructures is investigated to examine temperature-dependent modifications at the graphene–substrate interface. The optical response of the annealed heterostructures was characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy over the spectral range of 200–800 nm. The absorption spectra reveal a systematic red shift of the absorption edge with increasing annealing temperature, indicating a progressive modification of the electronic structure. Tauc method was used in the approximation of the optical band gap where a reduction of the optical band gap from 2.86 eV for the lower annealing temperature to 2.17 eV at the highest annealing temperature was observed. This act is associated to thermally induced interfacial relaxation, including changes in stacking configuration, and moirés super lattice formation. These processes lead to a reduction in substrate-induced symmetry breaking in graphene, thereby influencing its optical transitions. The findings contribute to a better understanding of temperature-driven interfacial effects in van der Waals heterostructures and provide insights relevant to the development of graphene-based optoelectronic and thermoelectric devices designed to operate under varying thermal conditions.
VL  - 15
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Kenneth Kipkemoi Ketili

Department of Physics, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Nairobi, Kenya

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Simon Waweru Mugo

Department of Physics, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Nairobi, Kenya

Contact Email
Richard Makori Ongeri

Department of Physics, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Nairobi, Kenya

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Ketili, K. K., Mugo, S. W., Ongeri, R. M. (2026). Modification of the Band Gap of Hexagonal Boron Nitride in Contact with Graphene Through Systematic Annealing. International Journal of Materials Science and Applications, 15(1), 26-29. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13

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ACS Style

Ketili, K. K.; Mugo, S. W.; Ongeri, R. M. Modification of the Band Gap of Hexagonal Boron Nitride in Contact with Graphene Through Systematic Annealing. Int. J. Mater. Sci. Appl. 2026, 15(1), 26-29. doi: 10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13

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AMA Style

Ketili KK, Mugo SW, Ongeri RM. Modification of the Band Gap of Hexagonal Boron Nitride in Contact with Graphene Through Systematic Annealing. Int J Mater Sci Appl. 2026;15(1):26-29. doi: 10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13,
  author = {Kenneth Kipkemoi Ketili and Simon Waweru Mugo and Richard Makori Ongeri},
  title = {Modification of the Band Gap of Hexagonal Boron Nitride in Contact with Graphene Through Systematic Annealing},
  journal = {International Journal of Materials Science and Applications},
  volume = {15},
  number = {1},
  pages = {26-29},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijmsa.20261501.13},
  abstract = {Graphene/hexagonal boron nitride heterostructures provides an effective platform for tuning graphene’s electronic and optical properties while preserving its inherently high carrier mobility. In this work, the effect of post-growth thermal annealing on the optical band gap of G/h-BN heterostructures is investigated to examine temperature-dependent modifications at the graphene–substrate interface. The optical response of the annealed heterostructures was characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy over the spectral range of 200–800 nm. The absorption spectra reveal a systematic red shift of the absorption edge with increasing annealing temperature, indicating a progressive modification of the electronic structure. Tauc method was used in the approximation of the optical band gap where a reduction of the optical band gap from 2.86 eV for the lower annealing temperature to 2.17 eV at the highest annealing temperature was observed. This act is associated to thermally induced interfacial relaxation, including changes in stacking configuration, and moirés super lattice formation. These processes lead to a reduction in substrate-induced symmetry breaking in graphene, thereby influencing its optical transitions. The findings contribute to a better understanding of temperature-driven interfacial effects in van der Waals heterostructures and provide insights relevant to the development of graphene-based optoelectronic and thermoelectric devices designed to operate under varying thermal conditions.},
 year = {2026}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Modification of the Band Gap of Hexagonal Boron Nitride in Contact with Graphene Through Systematic Annealing
AU  - Kenneth Kipkemoi Ketili
AU  - Simon Waweru Mugo
AU  - Richard Makori Ongeri
Y1  - 2026/02/11
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13
T2  - International Journal of Materials Science and Applications
JF  - International Journal of Materials Science and Applications
JO  - International Journal of Materials Science and Applications
SP  - 26
EP  - 29
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2327-2643
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmsa.20261501.13
AB  - Graphene/hexagonal boron nitride heterostructures provides an effective platform for tuning graphene’s electronic and optical properties while preserving its inherently high carrier mobility. In this work, the effect of post-growth thermal annealing on the optical band gap of G/h-BN heterostructures is investigated to examine temperature-dependent modifications at the graphene–substrate interface. The optical response of the annealed heterostructures was characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy over the spectral range of 200–800 nm. The absorption spectra reveal a systematic red shift of the absorption edge with increasing annealing temperature, indicating a progressive modification of the electronic structure. Tauc method was used in the approximation of the optical band gap where a reduction of the optical band gap from 2.86 eV for the lower annealing temperature to 2.17 eV at the highest annealing temperature was observed. This act is associated to thermally induced interfacial relaxation, including changes in stacking configuration, and moirés super lattice formation. These processes lead to a reduction in substrate-induced symmetry breaking in graphene, thereby influencing its optical transitions. The findings contribute to a better understanding of temperature-driven interfacial effects in van der Waals heterostructures and provide insights relevant to the development of graphene-based optoelectronic and thermoelectric devices designed to operate under varying thermal conditions.
VL  - 15
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download