Structure-dependent mechanical properties of ultrathin zinc oxide nanowires

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.