RESUMO
Helical amorphous nanosprings have attracted particular interest due to their special mechanical properties. In this work we present a simple model, within the framework of the Kirchhoff rod model, for investigating the structural properties of nanosprings having asymmetric cross section. We have derived expressions that can be used to obtain the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of the nanospring material composite. We also address the importance of the presence of a catalyst in the growth process of amorphous nanosprings in terms of the stability of helical rods.
RESUMO
Nanostructures (nanotubes, nanowires, etc.) have been the object of intense theoretical and experimental investigations in recent years. Among these structures, helical nanosprings or nanocoils have attracted particular interest due to their special mechanical properties. In this work, we investigated structural properties of nanosprings in the Kirchhoff rod model. We derived expressions that can be used experimentally to obtain nanospring Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio values. Our results also might explain why the presence of catalytic particles is so important in nanostructure growth.