Mechanical and electron‐transport properties of graphene nanoribbons under tensile strain: A first‐principles study

Abstract We calculate the mechanical and electron‐transport properties of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) under uniaxial tensile strain with first‐principles density functional theory. Our calculations reveal that armchair‐ and zigzag‐shaped edges decrease and increase the tensile strength of GNR, respectively. The I–V curve for GNR with armchair edges changes drastically under tensile strain, while the influence of tensile strain on the electron‐transport properties of GNR with zigzag edges is negligible. Our calculations propose one way to design and fabricate nanoscale mechanical sensors and devices based on GNRs.