On Nanobuckling of Monomolecular Layers Adhering to a Substrate

Abstract

It is shown that the first buckling mode corresponding to the lowest buckling force of a plane monomolecular layer glued to a substrate may not be smooth. The resulting saw-like configuration of neighboring molecules leads to corrugation on a molecular level and we name such a phenomenon nanobuckling . A criterion governing this smooth—not smooth transition is derived. The model presented may also describe surface instability of a perfect crystal due to contraction.