  Carbon nanomembranes made from aromatic precursor molecules are free standing
nanometer thin materials of macroscopic lateral dimensions. Although produced
in various versions for about two decades not much is known about their
internal structure. Here we present a first systematic theoretical attempt to
model the formation, structure, and mechanical properties of carbon
nanomembranes using classical molecular dynamics simulations. We find
theoretical production scenarios under which stable membranes form. They
possess pores as experimentally observed. Their Young's modulus, however, is
systematically larger than experimentally determined.
