Quasicrystal (QC) nanostructures are promising for use as sensors/detectors in
nanoelectromechanical systems. For this application, size dependence, surface
loading, and interlaminar bonding imperfections should be considered in the
theoretical analysis. Herein, the pull-in instability of a QC cantilever nanoactuator
incorporating the piezoelectric effect, size effect, and nanoscale interactions is
investigated on the basis of nonlocal elasticity theory. The nonlinear equilibrium
differential equation of the model is derived using the variational method of the
virtual displacement principle. The electrostatic instability and freestanding of
nanoactuators under electrostatic and intermolecular forces are analyzed. In
numerical examples, the pull-in phonon and phason displacements decrease with the
increment of piezoelectric modulation voltage. The pull-in instability of the
model occurs faster with the existence of the nonlocal effect, Casimir force,
and interfacial imperfections. The displacement in the phason field is more
sensitive to the initial gap than that in the phonon field. The results show
the sensitivity and reliability of QCs as piezoelectric materials in cantilever
nanoactuators.