Method of Determining the Elastic Characteristics of Graphene and Other 2D Nanoallotropes

Abstract

To calculate and design nanoelectronic and nanophotonic devices, in which graphenes and graphene-like 2D nanoallotropes of carbon, silicon, and binary III–V compounds are used, knowledge of the elastic characteristics and piezoelectric, photoelastic, and other properties of 2D materials, which depend on them, is of great significance. In this work, a simple method suitable for engineering calculations of determining the isothermal values of the force constants, elastic rigidities, Young’s modulus, and Poisson coefficient for 2D nanoallotropes of elements of Group IV of the periodic table and binary III–V compounds is proposed. The method is based on the Harrison method of bonding orbitals modified by S.Yu. Davydov and the R. Keating model for describing the elastic properties of such materials. It is shown that the method makes it possible to perform evaluative calculations of the elastic properties for known synthesized 2D crystal structures as well as for structures “constructed” theoretically. It is established that single-layer hexagonal boron nitride and other binary III–V compounds in the form of 2D nanoallotropes of various types of symmetry, which are piezoelectrics in addition, can be promising materials for nanoelectronics along with graphene. This extends the spectrum of the possible practical applications of the studied 2D materials (C, Si, BN, AlN, GaN, AlP, and GaP) both with a graphene-like and more complex structure. The results of this work can be used when developing the acoustic delay lines of the terahertz-frequency range, piezoelectric transducers for exciting and receiving elastic waves in nanoscale 2D acoustic lines, as well as piezoelectric sensors.