Surface effects on the superelasticity of nanohelices

Helical nanomaterials with superelasticity have a wide range of promising applications in micro-/nanoelectromechanical systems. Based on the theory of surface elasticity, we present a nonlinear rod model to investigate the superelasticity of nanohelices. Our results demonstrate that the superelasticity of nanohelices exhibits a distinct size dependence due to the increased ratio of surface area to volume. The superelasticity can effectively enhance the efficiency of energy storage and retrieval of nanohelices. This study is helpful for the characterization of the mechanical properties of nanosized helical materials and the optimal design of nanohelix-based devices. (paper)