Temperature and size modulation of the lattice thermal expansion on transition metallic nanostructures

Abstract

By combining the bond-order-length-strength theory, local bond average approach and core–shell model, a new analytical method for temperature- and size-dependent thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) of transition metallic nanostructures has been established. It shows that both cohesive energy and cubic Debye temperature are inversely proportional to the TEC in the crystalline materials, that both cohesive energy and Debye temperature decrease with the reduction in size, which leads to the size effect of TEC, and the bond nature parameter modulate the intensity of size-dependent TEC. In agreement with the measurements, the Debye temperature, rigidity factor and bond nature parameter for 12 kinds of transition metals were quantitatively obtained. The present new analytical method for thermal properties of transition metals is simple and accurate, which is beyond the scope of existing methods in thermal-modulation and -management of nano-photoelectronic devices.