Aluminene nanoribbons: work function tuning with strain and surface termination

Aluminene nanoribbons (Al NRs) are introduced as a new class of metallic low-dimensional systems with potential applications in nanoscale interconnects and contact engineering. Using first-principles calculations, we systematically examine their electronic structure, edge passivation effects, and tunability under strain. Both armchair NRs (ANRs) and zigzag NRs (ZNRs) retain metallicity irrespective of dimensionality reduction, confirming robustness against confinement. Edge chemistry strongly influences charge redistribution resulting in work function shifts up to 1 eV arising from strong edge dipoles associated with Al-H, Al-O, Al-F and Al-OH bonds. Uniaxial strain not only modulates band dispersion but also induces significant shifts in work function, offering an additional degree of control for device engineering. These results position Al NRs as versatile metallic components for nanoelectronic and optoelectronic applications.