Thermal stability and spontaneous breakdown of free-standing metal nanowires

We present a model for vacancy-mediated spontaneous breakdown of free-standing monatomic nano wire based on exclusively random, thermally activated motion of atoms. The model suggests a new two-step vacancy-mediated mechanism for nanowire rupture compared to the more complex three-step hole-mediated mechanism driving the disintegration of nanowire on crystalline surface. It also demonstrates that a free-standing nanowire breaks down much more rapidly than a nanowire on a substrate, because it cannot experience the stabilizing effect of the nanowire/substrate interactions. The rupture mechanism includes single atomic vacancy generation, preceded by appearance of weakly bonded active atoms. The analysis of the simulation data indicates that the active atoms act as a precursor of vacancy formation. These two successive events in the temporal evolution of the nanowire morphology bring the free-standing nanowire into irreversible unstable state, leading to its total disintegration. The present study also manifests an unexpected substantial increase of the nanowire lifetime with diminishing the strength of the atomic interactions between the nanowire atoms. The simulation data reveal three energy regions where a large oscillatory variation of nanowire lifetime is realized. The first region of strong atomic interactions is characterized by tight nanowire rigidity and short lifetime. The next, second region in the consecutive step-down of the attractive interatomic force is characterized by generation of wave-shaped morphology of the atomic chain, enhanced flexibility and dramatic increase of nanowire lifetime. In the last, third region, further weakening of the interactions returns the nanowire again to unstable, short-lifetime state. The observed phenomenon is considered as a "stick-like" to "polymer-like" transition in the nanowire atomic structure as a result of interaction energy variation. The enhanced flexibility reduces the nanowire free energy since it favors and facilitates the rate of entropy propagation in the atomic chain structure. The observed phenomenon opens a way for a new type atomic scale control on the thermal stability of both free-standing nanowire and nanowire on crystalline substrate. The present study also extends the validity of the three-step breakdown mechanism of nanowire on crystalline substrate to the specific case of thermally activated free-standing nanowire rupture not affected by any external forces. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.