  Vibrational properties of graphene nanoribbons are examined with density
functional based tight-binding method and non-resonant bond polarization
theory. We show that the recently discovered reconstructed zigzag edge can be
identified from the emergence of high-energy vibrational mode due to strong
triple bonds at the edges. This mode is visible also in the Raman spectrum.
Total vibrational density of states of the reconstructed zigzag edge is
observed to resemble the vibrational density of states of armchair, rather than
zigzag, graphene nanoribbon. Edge-related vibrational states increase in energy
which corroborates increased ridigity of the reconstructed zigzag edge.

Materials Science