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A Fabrication Method for Highly Stretchable Conductors with Silver Nanowires
Published on: January 21, 2016
String tension and stability of magic tip-suspended nanowires
E Tosatti1, S Prestipino, S Kostlmeier
1International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), 34014 Trieste, Italy. tosatti@sissa.it
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 24, 2001
Summary
Local minima in string tension, not total energy, dictate gold nanowire stability. Theoretical calculations reveal a seven-strand chiral gold nanowire configuration matches experimental observations.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Recent electron microscopy imaging revealed multishell helical gold nanowires.
- Understanding the stability of such nanostructures is crucial for their application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically investigate the factors determining the stability of multishell helical gold nanowires.
- To compare the stability of gold and silver nanowires.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of string tension and free energy.
- Density functional electronic structure calculations for gold and silver nanowires of varying radii and chirality.
Main Results:
- Gold nanowire stability is determined by local minima in string tension, not total free energy.
- A seven-strand chiral gold nanowire configuration exhibits a string tension minimum, aligning with experimental findings.
- Silver nanowires lack a comparable string tension minimum due to the absence of s-d electronic competition.
Conclusions:
- The contact with gold tips and local string tension minima are critical for gold nanowire stability.
- The observed seven-strand chiral gold nanowire structure is theoretically supported.
- Differences in electronic structure explain the distinct stability properties of gold versus silver nanowires.
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