Atomic-scale imaging correlation on the deformation and sensing mechanisms of SnO{sub 2} nanowires

Journal Article · Mon Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4904912· OSTI ID:22395548

Sun, Yong ^[1]; Liu, Jie; Koley, Goutam ^[2]; Blom, Douglas ^[3]; Duan, Zhiyao; Wang, Guofeng ^[4]; Li, Xiaodong ^[1]

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1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, 300 Main Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29208 (United States)
2. Department of Electrical Engineering, University of South Carolina, 301 Main Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29208 (United States)
3. Electron Microscopy Center, University of South Carolina, 301 Main Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29205 (United States)
4. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, 3700 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261 (United States)

We demonstrate direct evidence that the strain variation induced by local lattice distortion exists in the surface layers of SnO{sub 2} nanowires by coupled scanning transmission electron microscopy and digital image correlation techniques. First-principles calculations suggest that surface reduction and subsurface oxygen vacancies account for such vigorous wavelike strain. Our study revealed that the localized change of surface atomistic configuration was responsible for the observed reduction of elastic modulus and hardness of SnO{sub 2} nanowires, as well as the superior sensing properties of SnO{sub 2} nanowire network.

• OSTI ID: 22395548
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 24; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CORRELATIONS
CRYSTAL LATTICES
DEFORMATION
HARDNESS
IMAGES
LAYERS
NANOWIRES
OXYGEN
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
STRAINS
SURFACES
TIN OXIDES
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
VACANCIES
VARIATIONS
YOUNG MODULUS