Size-dependent elastic properties of spherical nanoparticles: a nonlocality-emerged surface model

  • Ruozhen ZHANG ,
  • Li LI
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  • State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, School of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Huazhong University ofScience and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Li LI, E-mail: lili_em@hust.edu.cn

Received date: 2025-07-29

  Revised date: 2025-09-17

  Online published: 2025-11-28

Supported by

Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52175095)

Copyright

© Shanghai University 2025

Abstract

The incomplete understanding of nanoscale surface interactions arising from underlying atomistic long-range forces limits our ability to simulate and design their performance. In this paper, the surface elasticity is constructed from underlying atomistic nonlocal interactions in spherical nanoparticles. By introducing an intrinsic length scale, we quantify the surface region thickness, and demonstrate the progressive elastic modulus transition caused by asymmetric atomistic nonlocal interactions. The universal surface scaling law, relating the intrinsic length scale to the particle dimensions, is established, and a surface-dominated criterion is developed for quantifying the transition to the surface-dominated behaviors. The model is thoroughly validated through the molecular static simulations and experimental data with the material-specific intrinsic length constants.

Cite this article

Ruozhen ZHANG , Li LI . Size-dependent elastic properties of spherical nanoparticles: a nonlocality-emerged surface model[J]. Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, 2025 , 46(12) : 2281 -2296 . DOI: 10.1007/s10483-025-3323-6

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