Effect of Ultrahigh Stiffness of Defective Graphene from Atomistic Point of View

Well-known effect of mechanical stiffness degradation under the influence of point defects in macroscopic solids can be controversially reversed in the case of low-dimensional materials. Using atomistic simulation, we showed here that a single-layered graphene film can be sufficiently stiffened by monovacancy defects at a tiny concentration. Our results correspond well with recent experimental data and suggest that the effect of mechanical stiffness augmentation is mainly originated from specific bonds distribution in the surrounded monovacancy defects regions. We showed that such unusual mechanical response is the feature of presence of specifically monovacancies, whereas other types of point defects such as divacancy, 555-777 and Stone-Wales defects, lead to the ordinary degradation of the graphene mechanical stiffness.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Multiterminal Nanowire Junctions of Silicon: A Theoretical Prediction of Atomic Structure and Electronic Properties

Using empirical scheme, atomic structure of a new exotic class of silicon nanoclusters was elaborated upon the central icosahedral core (Si-IC) and pentagonal petals (Si-PP) growing from Si-IC vertexes. It was shown that Si-IC/Si-PP interface formation is energetically preferable. Some experimental observations of silicon nanostructures can be explained by presence of the proposed objects. The Extended Huckel Theory electronic structure calculations demonstrate an ability of the proposed objects to act as nanoscale tunnel junctions.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

The theoretical DFT study of electronic structure of thin Si/SiO2 quantum nanodots and nanowires

The atomic and electronic structure of a set of proposed thin (1.6 nm in diameter) silicon/silica quantum nanodots and nanowires with narrow interface, as well as parent metastable silicon structures (1.2 nm in diameter), was studied in cluster and PBC approaches using B3LYP/6-31G* and PW PP LDA approximations. The total density of states (TDOS) of the smallest quasispherical silicon quantum dot (Si85) corresponds well to the TDOS of the bulk silicon. The elongated silicon nanodots and 1D nanowires demonstrate the metallic nature of the electronic structure. The surface oxidized layer opens the bandgap in the TDOS of the Si/SiO2 species. The top of the valence band and the bottom of conductivity band of the particles are formed by the silicon core derived states. The energy width of the bandgap is determined by the length of the Si/SiO2 clusters and demonstrates inverse dependence upon the size of the nanostructures. The theoretical data describes the size confinement effect in photoluminescence spectra of the silica embedded nanocrystalline silicon with high accuracy.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl