Atomistic simulations of inorganic nanowires

Inorganic nanowires, such as those of metals, semiconductors and oxides, have attracted much research interest due to their unique material properties and present many possibilities for the development of revolutionary applications in materials science and technology. There are abundant reports on experimental works covering various aspects of nanowires including fabrication, structural analysis and property characterization. Theoretical studies have also been carried out to provide researchers with a better understanding of nanowire structural characteristics and the mechanisms that affect their properties. This report gives a brief introduction to the numerical methodologies commonly used for the analysis of nanowires followed by a review of theoretical works focusing on the unique structures of nanowires, their stability and related mechanical properties. The current state of research and development of nanowires is presented together with some comments on the future direction of theoretical studies on inorganic nanowires.