Elastic deformation and stability in pentagonal nanorods with multiple twin boundaries

Abstract

In this paper we calculate and discuss the elastic deformation in a new kind of nanorod, a pentagonal rod with multiple twin boundaries, on the basis of elastic theory. Present theory shows that the central part of the pentagonal rod is highly compressed whereas the outer part is tensioned. The average bond length in the central part is about 1-2% shorter than that in the outer part. Present theory also indicates that the nanorod structure is metastable and will disppear at a certain critical size (around several tens of nanometres).