Molecular dynamics simulations of the atom packing characteristics of three deformed silver nanoparticles at room temperature

Abstract

Deformation is of significance in controlling the shape of materials, but the key structural information of metal nanoparticles is still limited. Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to explore the microscopic details of atom packing differences in three deformed silver nanoparticles with one atom difference. Analytical tools are used to demonstrate the effects of external load and surface atoms of particles on the packing patterns in these deformed nanoparticles including internal energy per atom, pair numbers, and pair distribution functions as well as cross-sectional images. The simulation results show that under small compression, the particles present elastic behaviors. The increasing compression results in the sliding of the atoms in different parts of these particles, and some interfaces are formed between these parts. As the external load becomes large, these deformed particles are compressed into the thickness of several atomic layers. The unloaded particles present different behaviors.