Surface effects in various bending-based test methods for measuring the elastic property of nanowires.

The size-dependent elastic property of nanowires induced by the surface effect is investigated by using the core-shell model. The overall effective elastic moduli of nanowires with regular polygonal cross-sections are unified into a simple and explicit relation. It is found that the effect of surface elasticity on the elastic moduli can be well characterized by two dimensionless material and geometric parameters with clear physical meaning. Finite element simulations demonstrate that the derived theoretical relation is applicable for all the vibration, bending, and buckling test methods for measuring the mechanical properties of nanowires. The analytical result is also validated by comparing it with relevant experimental measurements. This study is helpful not only for interpreting various phenomena associated with size-dependent mechanical properties of nanowires but also for developing and evaluating test techniques for material characterization at the nanoscale.

Elasticity-driven droplet movement on a microbeam with gradient stiffness: a biomimetic self-propelling mechanism.

Directional movement of liquid droplets is of significance not only for certain physiological processes in nature but also for design of some microfluidic devices. In this study, we report a novel way to drive directional movement of liquid droplets on a microbeam with a varying or gradient stiffness. We use the energy method to theoretically analyze the interaction between a droplet and the elastic microbeam. The system tends to have the minimum potential energy when the droplet moves to the softer end of the beam. Therefore, a gradient change of the bending stiffness may be utilized to help the directional motion of droplets. Similarly, one can also drive droplets to move in a designed direction by varying the cross sectional geometry of the beam. Finally, some possible applications of this self-propelling mechanism are suggested.