title: Structure-dependent mechanical properties of ultrathin zinc oxide nanowires.
abstract: Mechanical properties of ultrathin zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires of about 0.7-1.1 nm width and in the unbuckled wurtzite (WZ) phase have been carried out by molecular dynamics simulation. As the width of the nanowire decreases, Young's modulus, stress-strain behavior, and yielding stress all increase. In addition, the yielding strength and Young's modulus of Type III are much lower than the other two types, because Type I and II have prominent edges on the cross-section of the nanowire. Due to the flexibility of the Zn-O bond, the phase transformation from an unbuckled WZ phase to a buckled WZ is observed under the tensile process, and this behavior is reversible. Moreover, one- and two-atom-wide chains can be observed before the ZnO nanowires rupture. These results indicate that the ultrathin nanowire possesses very high malleability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Electro-Mechanical Engineering, Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Sun Yat-sen University Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan. jushin-pon@mail.nsysu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Wen-Jay
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jee-Gong
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Shin-Pon
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: Meng-Hsiung
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Chia-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee