The structural and electronic properties of two-dimensional gallium nitrides (2D GaNs) on a van der Waals (vdW) epitaxial substrate are investigated using first-principles calculations. We show that the structures and electronic properties of mono- and bilayer GaN are hardly affected when deposited on the vdW substrate comprising a graphene sheet placed on the GaN(0001) bulk surface. A weak attractive interaction is found to work between the 2D GaNs and vdW substrate, which is still sufficient to maintain the 2D GaNs on the substrate and could also be exploited to control their stability. The present findings demonstrate that the vdW substrate is propitious to grow and hold the 2D GaNs without altering their intrinsic properties, in contrast to previously examined metal substrates.

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