On the Determination of Elastic Properties of Indium Nitride Nanosheets and Nanotubes by Numerical Simulation

Among the semiconductors formed by a 13th group element and nitrogen, indium nitride (InN) has promising electronic and optical properties, which make it an appropriate material for light-emitting devices and high-speed electronic applications. One-dimensional and two-dimensional InN structures, such as nanotubes and nanosheets, respectively, are expected to present novel advanced characteristics different from those of bulk InN, bringing new prospects in the designs of electronic and optical nanodevices. Despite the difficulties in the synthesis and mass production of the indium nitride nanotubes and nanosheets, the understanding of their properties, including mechanical ones, deserves more research attention, taking into account future perspectives. In this context, the present work is an exploratory study on the numerical evaluation of elastic properties of InN nanosheets and nanotubes, using the nanoscale continuum modelling (also called molecular structural mechanics) approach. The results obtained constitute a solid base for further investigation on the mechanical behaviour of the InN nanostructures, where studies are at an early stage or almost absent.