This project integrates experiments, modeling and simulations to study buckling mechanical behavior at the nanometer scales. The objective is to correlate experimental observations of buckling nanometer-sized structures to mechanical properties of materials at the nanoscale. As a result, this project will open a new line of methodology for characterization of nanoscale structures and materials. Specifically, three intriguing buckling phenomena at the nanoscale will be investigated, including swell-induced buckling of polymer nanolines, buckling of single crystal silicon nanolines under indentation, and cooperative buckling of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. The research team includes two PIs with complementary expertise in experimental and modeling, respectively. Collaboration has been established with an experimental group at National Institute for Standards and Technology for the study of polymer nanolines, with a particular interest in the effects of three-dimensional confinement at the nanoscale on the swelling and deformation of polymers. Nanoindentation and compression tests will be conducted to study the interactions of parallel Si nanolines and vertically aligned carbon nanotubes along with the properties of contact, friction, and fracture at the nanoscale. The research from this project will advance fundamental understanding of mechanical behavior at the nanoscale, which is critically important in the development of nanostructures for engineering applications and thus has a broader impact on nanoscience and nanotechnology. Education activities will be incorporated within the research project to enhance its societal impacts, which include training of graduate and undergraduate students and outreach to underrepresented groups. The research results will be broadly disseminated to the academic community as well as the general public.
