Mechanics of Nanostructures and Nanomaterials

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanofabrication and Nanomanufacturing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 October 2021) | Viewed by 20879

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Interests: nanosystems; advanced materials; nonlinear vibrations; vibrations; microsystems

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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bialystok University of Technology, Wiejska 45C, 15-351 Bialystok, Poland
Interests: applied mathematics; linear and non-linear mechanics of composite structures at macro, micro, and nano scale; non-local continuum mechanics; smart materials and structures; composite materials
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanostructures have shown great potential to be used as the building components of many nanoelectromechanical and microelectromechanical systems. In a remarkable number of these ultrasmall devices, understanding the mechanical characteristics is crucial in order to improve the efficiency of the target system. Overall, there are three main approaches for obtaining the mechanical characteristics at nanoscales: 1) experimental techniques, 2) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and 3) size-dependent continuum modelling. The second and third approaches are commonly utilised as theoretical tools to explain the underlying reasons behind experimentally observed patterns, and to extract the mechanical characteristics where performing reliable experiments is hard.  

In this Special Issue, recently developed experimental techniques, MD simulations, and size-dependent continuum models of structural elements at nanoscales will be discussed. Nanoscale structural elements include but are not limited to carbon nanotubes, sliver nanobeams, piezoelectric nanowires, boron nitride nanotubes, and graphene sheets. Possible directions for future works on the mechanical behaviour of structures at nanoscales based on different nonlocal elasticity theories will also be highlighted. In particular, original and review articles about the mechanical properties of nanostructures and their responses to multifield loads are welcomed.

Dr. Ali Farajpour
Dr. Krzysztof Kamil Żur
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • nanostructures
  • nanobeams
  • nanotubes
  • nanorods
  • nanoplates
  • nanoshells
  • MD simulations
  • nonlocal elasticity theories
  • experimental measurement
  • magneto-electro-elastic couplings
  • mechanical properties
  • buckling
  • vibration
  • bending
  • wave propagation

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 151 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue of Nanomaterials: Mechanics of Nanostructures and Nanomaterials
by Krzysztof Kamil Żur and Ali Farajpour
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(3), 476; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12030476 - 29 Jan 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2781
Abstract
Nanostructures have shown great potential to be used as the building components of many nanoelectromechanical and microelectromechanical systems [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanics of Nanostructures and Nanomaterials)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

17 pages, 4486 KiB  
Article
Frictional Pressure Drop and Cost Savings for Graphene Nanoplatelets Nanofluids in Turbulent Flow Environments
by Reem Sabah Mohammad, Mohammed Suleman Aldlemy, Mu’ataz S. Al Hassan, Aziz Ibrahim Abdulla, Miklas Scholz and Zaher Mundher Yaseen
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(11), 3094; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11113094 - 16 Nov 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2073
Abstract
Covalent-functionalized graphene nanoplatelets (CF-GNPs) inside a circular heated-pipe and the subsequent pressure decrease loss within a fully developed turbulent flow were discussed in this research. Four samples of nanofluids were prepared and investigated in the ranges of 0.025 wt.%, 0.05 wt.%, 0.075 wt.%, [...] Read more.
Covalent-functionalized graphene nanoplatelets (CF-GNPs) inside a circular heated-pipe and the subsequent pressure decrease loss within a fully developed turbulent flow were discussed in this research. Four samples of nanofluids were prepared and investigated in the ranges of 0.025 wt.%, 0.05 wt.%, 0.075 wt.%, and 0.1 wt.%. Different tools such as field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), ultraviolet-visible-spectrophotometer (UV-visible), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), zeta potential, and nanoparticle sizing were used for the data preparation. The thermophysical properties of the working fluids were experimentally determined using the testing conditions established via computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations that had been designed to solve governing equations involving distilled water (DW) and nanofluidic flows. The average error between the numerical solution and the Blasius formula was ~4.85%. Relative to the DW, the pressure dropped by 27.80% for 0.025 wt.%, 35.69% for 0.05 wt.%, 41.61% for 0.075 wt.%, and 47.04% for 0.1 wt.%. Meanwhile, the pumping power increased by 3.8% for 0.025 wt.%, 5.3% for 0.05 wt.%, 6.6% for 0.075%, and 7.8% for 0.1 wt.%. The research findings on the cost analysis demonstrated that the daily electric costs were USD 214, 350, 416, 482, and 558 for DW of 0.025 wt.%, 0.05 wt.%, 0.075 wt.%, and 0.1 wt.%, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanics of Nanostructures and Nanomaterials)
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19 pages, 8661 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Characterization of Microstructured Materials Made of Hexagonal-Shape Particles with Elastic Interfaces
by Marco Colatosti, Nicholas Fantuzzi and Patrizia Trovalusci
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(7), 1781; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11071781 - 8 Jul 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2298
Abstract
This work aims to present the dynamic character of microstructured materials made of hexagonal-shape particles interacting with elastic interfaces. Several hexagonal shapes are analyzed to underline the different constitutive behavior of each texture. The mechanical behavior at the macro scale is analyzed by [...] Read more.
This work aims to present the dynamic character of microstructured materials made of hexagonal-shape particles interacting with elastic interfaces. Several hexagonal shapes are analyzed to underline the different constitutive behavior of each texture. The mechanical behavior at the macro scale is analyzed by considering a discrete model assumed as a benchmark of the problem and it is compared to a homogenized micropolar model as well as a classical one. The advantages of the micropolar description with respect to the classical one are highlighted when internal lengths and anisotropies of microstuctured materials are taken into consideration. Comparisons are presented in terms of natural frequencies and modes of vibrations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanics of Nanostructures and Nanomaterials)
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12 pages, 2156 KiB  
Article
Dynamics of Stress-Driven Two-Phase Elastic Beams
by Marzia Sara Vaccaro, Francesco Paolo Pinnola, Francesco Marotti de Sciarra and Raffaele Barretta
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(5), 1138; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11051138 - 28 Apr 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1924
Abstract
The dynamic behaviour of micro- and nano-beams is investigated by the nonlocal continuum mechanics, a computationally convenient approach with respect to atomistic strategies. Specifically, size effects are modelled by expressing elastic curvatures in terms of the integral mixture of stress-driven local and nonlocal [...] Read more.
The dynamic behaviour of micro- and nano-beams is investigated by the nonlocal continuum mechanics, a computationally convenient approach with respect to atomistic strategies. Specifically, size effects are modelled by expressing elastic curvatures in terms of the integral mixture of stress-driven local and nonlocal phases, which leads to well-posed structural problems. Relevant nonlocal equations of the motion of slender beams are formulated and integrated by an analytical approach. The presented strategy is applied to simple case-problems of nanotechnological interest. Validation of the proposed nonlocal methodology is provided by comparing natural frequencies with the ones obtained by the classical strain gradient model of elasticity. The obtained outcomes can be useful for the design and optimisation of micro- and nano-electro-mechanical systems (M/NEMS). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanics of Nanostructures and Nanomaterials)
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33 pages, 11443 KiB  
Article
Full-Scale Pore Structure Characteristics and the Main Controlling Factors of Mesoproterozoic Xiamaling Shale in Zhangjiakou, Hebei, China
by Liangwei Xu, Keji Yang, Hao Wei, Luofu Liu, Xiao Li, Lei Chen, Tong Xu and Ximeng Wang
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(2), 527; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020527 - 18 Feb 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2298
Abstract
Nanoscale pore structure characteristics and their main controlling factors are key elements affecting the gas storage capacity, permeability, and the accumulation mechanism of shale. A multidisciplinary analytical program was applied to quantify the pore structure of all sizes of Xiamaling shale from Zhangjiakou, [...] Read more.
Nanoscale pore structure characteristics and their main controlling factors are key elements affecting the gas storage capacity, permeability, and the accumulation mechanism of shale. A multidisciplinary analytical program was applied to quantify the pore structure of all sizes of Xiamaling shale from Zhangjiakou, Hebei. The result implies that Mercury injection porosimetry (MIP) and low-pressure N2 curves of the samples can be divided into three and four types, respectively, reflecting different connectivity performances. The maximum CO2 adsorbing capacity increases with increasing total organic carbon (TOC) content, pore volume (PV), and surface area (SA) of the micropores are distributed in a three-peak type. The full-scale pore structure distribution characteristics reveal the coexistence of multiple peaks with multiple dominant scales and bi-peak forms with mesopores and micropores. The porosity positively correlates with the TOC and quartz content, but negatively correlates with clay mineral content. Organic matter (OM) is the main contributor to micropore and mesopore development. Smectite and illite/smectite (I/S) assist the development of the PV and SA of pores with different size. Illite promotes the development of the nanoscale PV, but is detrimental to the development of the SA. Thermal maturity controls the evolution of pores with different size, and the evolution model for the TOC-normalized PVs of different diameter scales is established. Residual hydrocarbon is mainly accumulated in micropores sized 0.3 to 1.0 nm and mesopores sized 40 nm, 2 nm and less than 10 nm. Since the samples were extracted, the pore space occupied by residual hydrocarbon was released, resulting in a remarkable increase in PV and SA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanics of Nanostructures and Nanomaterials)
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26 pages, 502 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Behavior of Magnetically Affected Rod-Like Nanostructures with Multiple Defects via Nonlocal-Integral/Differential-Based Models
by Keivan Kiani and Krzysztof Kamil Żur
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(11), 2306; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10112306 - 21 Nov 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2309
Abstract
Through considering both nonlocality and surface energy effects, this paper suggests suitable mathematical-continuum-based models for free vibration of nanorods with multiple defects acted upon by a bidirectional-transverse magnetic field. By employing both theories of elasticity of Eringen and Gurtin–Murdoch, the equations of motion [...] Read more.
Through considering both nonlocality and surface energy effects, this paper suggests suitable mathematical-continuum-based models for free vibration of nanorods with multiple defects acted upon by a bidirectional-transverse magnetic field. By employing both theories of elasticity of Eringen and Gurtin–Murdoch, the equations of motion for the magnetically affected-damaged rod-like nanostructures are derived using the nonlocal-differential-based and the nonlocal-integral-based models. The local defects are modeled by a set of linearly appropriate axial springs at the interface of appropriately divided nanorods. Through constructing the nonlocal-differential equations of motion for sub-divided portions and by imposing the appropriate interface conditions, the natural frequencies as well as the vibrational modes are explicitly obtained for fixed–free and fixed–fixed nanorods with low numbers of defects. The extracted nonlocal-integral governing equations are also solved for natural frequencies using the finite-element technique. For a particular situation, the model’s results are successfully verified with those of another work. Subsequently, the effects of nonlocality, surface energy, defect’s location, nanorod’s diameter, magnetic field strength, and number of defects on the dominant free vibration response of the magnetically defected nanorods with various end conditions are displayed and discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanics of Nanostructures and Nanomaterials)
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15 pages, 6693 KiB  
Article
Calculating the Electrical Conductivity of Graphene Nanoplatelet Polymer Composites by a Monte Carlo Method
by Chao Fang, Juanjuan Zhang, Xiqu Chen and George J. Weng
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(6), 1129; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10061129 - 8 Jun 2020
Cited by 67 | Viewed by 5650
Abstract
Electrical conductivity is one of several outstanding features of graphene–polymer nanocomposites, but calculations of this property require the intricate features of the underlying conduction processes to be accounted for. To this end, a novel Monte Carlo method was developed. We first established a [...] Read more.
Electrical conductivity is one of several outstanding features of graphene–polymer nanocomposites, but calculations of this property require the intricate features of the underlying conduction processes to be accounted for. To this end, a novel Monte Carlo method was developed. We first established a randomly distributed graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) network. Then, based on the tunneling effect, the contact conductance between the GNPs was calculated. Coated surfaces (CSs) were next set up to calculate the current flow from the GNPs to the polymer. Using the equipotential approximation, the potentials of the GNPs and CSs met Kirchhoff’s current law, and, based on Laplace equation, the potential of the CSs was obtained from the potential of the GNP by the walk-on-spheres (WoS) method. As such, the potentials of all GNPs were obtained, and the electrical conductivity of the GNP polymer composites was calculated. The barrier heights, polymer conductivity, diameter and thickness of the GNP determining the electrical conductivity of composites were studied in this model. The calculated conductivity and percolation threshold were shown to agree with experimental data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanics of Nanostructures and Nanomaterials)
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