Search

Porous network structures (e.g. metal–organic frameworks, MOFs) show considerable potential in dethroning monoethanol amine (MEA) from being the dominant scrubber for CO2 at the fossil-fuel-burning power generators. In contrast to their promise, structural stability and high-pressure behavior of MOFs are not well documented. We herein report moisture stability, mechanical properties and high-pressure compression on a model MOF structure, MOF-5. Our results show that MOF-5 can endure all tested pressures (0–225 bar) without losing its structural integrity, however, its moist air stability points at a 3.5 hour safety window (at 21.6 °C and 49% humidity) for an efficient CO2 capture. Isosteric heats of CO2 adsorption at high pressures show moderate interaction energy between CO2 molecules and the MOF-5 sorbent, which combined with the large sorption ability of MOF-5 in the studied pressure–temperature ranges show the viability of this sorbent for CO2 capturing purposes. The combination of the physicochemical methods we used suggests a generalized analytical standard for measuring viability in CO2 capture operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A previously reported method for extracting the thin film hardness from nanoindentation into a film on an elastically mismatched substrate was applied to four different cases of extreme mismatch in elastic properties: Parmax, Ultem, Polysulfone and Perfluorocyclobutyl polymer thin films on Si substrates. All of these cases represent extremely compliant films on a stiff substrate, where the ratio of film shear modulus to substrate shear modulus ranged from 0.008 to 0.036. Analyzing the nanoindentation data into these film/substrate systems poses a significant limitation when using the Oliver and Pharr method as the hardness increases rapidly with indentation depth. Therefore, a method involving the measured contact stiffnesses to more accurately determine the correct contact areas was used to extract the true hardness of the polymer thin films. The results indicate that our method is able to remove the substrate effects as well as the complications arising from pile-up and surface roughness to yield a wide plateau in hardness despite the extreme elastic mismatch conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A size effect study was conducted on [001] oriented vanadium nanopillars that were synthesized from both a thin film and a bulk crystal. The results indicate that a size-dependent deformation behavior exists for vanadium; the smaller nanopillars displayed discrete strain bursts and higher stresses during deformation. The size effect exponent is found to be 0.79, and the results are compared with previous reports on other body-centered cubic (bcc) metals: Nb, Ta, Mo and W. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Multilayer thin films with bilayer thicknesses in the nanometer range have been reported to have very high strengths. A previous study has shown that Al–Al3Sc multilayers, with bilayer thicknesses as small as 6nm, have hardnesses as high as ∼3GPa as measured by sharp tip nanoindentation. In the present study, we have avoided some of the complications associated with sharp tip nanoindentation by directly measuring the yield strengths and strain hardening/softening properties of Al–Al3Sc multilayers using microcompression testing methods with a nanoindenter. The results show the expected trend of increasing yield strength with decreasing bilayer thickness, and compare favorably with estimates of the yield strengths based on sharp tip nanoindentation. During deformation, the Al–Al3Sc multilayer pillars with smaller bilayer spacings experience considerable strain softening, resulting in a “flat-top mushroom” shape after deformation. We have developed a numerical model to account for this inhomogeneous deformation behavior and to calculate stress–strain relationships during strain softening. A new transmission electron microscopy study of a deformed pillar shows that the softening is a result of destruction of the layered structure due to shearing and rotation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The size-dependent strength of face-centered cubic (fcc) metals, as revealed by uniaxial compression of nanopillars, suggests that plasticity is dislocation source-controlled, with fewer sources in smaller pillars producing a “smaller is stronger” effect. To further investigate this phenomenon we have studied the effects of prestraining and annealing on the deformation properties of [001] Au nanopillars. By making pillars from an epitaxial film of [001] Au on [001] MgO, using focused ion beam machining, we are able to create both puck-shaped pillars that can be stably prestrained and pillars with a high aspect ratio, which can be tested in uniaxial compression. We find that prestraining dramatically reduces the flow strength of nanopillars while annealing restores the strength to the pristine levels. These unusual effects are not seen in bulk fcc metals, which behave in the opposite way. We discuss their possible causes in terms of dislocation densities using transmission electron microscopy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Piezoelectric materials are suitable for haptic technology as they can convert mechanical stimuli into electrical signals and vice-versa. However, owing to their disadvantageous mechanical properties such as brittleness (in ceramics) and a low piezoelectric coefficient (in polymers), their application in haptic technology remains challenging. In this paper, we introduce a truss-like 3D hollow nanostructure using zinc oxide (ZnO) that exhibits a drastically improved elastic strain limit while maintaining a piezoelectric coefficient similar to that of single-crystal ZnO. The ZnO hollow nanostructure was fabricated using proximity field nanopatterning (PnP) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) at four different processing temperatures. The piezoelectric characteristics were analyzed through dual AC resonance tracking piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), and the piezoelectric coefficient was measured to be up to 9.2 pm/V. The nanopillar compression test result showed that the measured elastic strain limit of approximately 10% was at least 3 times greater than the previously reported value. The extended elastic limit of the 3D hollow structure was further supported by finite element simulations. The ZnO hollow nanostructure shows excellent potential for its application to enhanced haptic devices, which mimic the human sense of touch. A 3D ZnO hollow nanostructure exhibits an improved elastic strain limit while maintaining a piezoelectric coefficient similar to that of single-crystal ZnO. This nanostructure is fabricated using atomic layer deposition at four different temperatures. The piezoelectric coefficient of ≈ 9.2 pm/V and elastic strain limit of ≈ 10% are measured by piezoresponse force microscopy and nanopillar compression test, respectively. Image 1 • We developed a 3D ZnO hollow nanostructure through atomic layer deposition and 3D nanolithography. • The effective piezoelectric coefficient of 3D ZnO hollow nanostructure is close to that of a single-crystal bulk ZnO. • The 3D ZnO hollow nanostructure has a high elastic strain limit of 10% which is 3 times greater than the bulk ZnO value. • Our 3D hollow nanostructure can be used in enhanced haptic devices, which mimic the human sense of touch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There has been growing international interest in performing remote consultations in primary care, particularly amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, the evidence surrounding the safety of remote consultations is inconclusive. The appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing in remote consultations is an important aspect of patient safety that needs to be addressed.Objective: This study aimed to summarize evidence on the impact of remote consultation in primary care with regard to antibiotic prescribing.Methods: Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, HMIC, PsycINFO, and CINAHL for literature published since the databases' inception to February 2020. Peer-reviewed studies conducted in primary health care settings were included. All remote consultation types were considered, and studies were required to report any quantitative measure of antibiotic prescribing to be included in this systematic review. Studies were excluded if there were no comparison groups (face-to-face consultations).Results: In total, 12 studies were identified. Of these, 4 studies reported higher antibiotic-prescribing rates, 5 studies reported lower antibiotic-prescribing rates, and 3 studies reported similar antibiotic-prescribing rates in remote consultations compared with face-to-face consultations. Guideline-concordant prescribing was not significantly different between remote and face-to-face consultations for patients with sinusitis, but conflicting results were found for patients with acute respiratory infections. Mixed evidence was found for follow-up visit rates after remote and face-to-face consultations.Conclusions: There is insufficient evidence to confidently conclude that remote consulting has a significant impact on antibiotic prescribing in primary care. However, studies indicating higher prescribing rates in remote consultations than in face-to-face consultations are a concern. Further, well-conducted studies are needed to inform safe and appropriate implementation of remote consulting to ensure that there is no unintended impact on antimicrobial resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on sex differences in the association between chronotype and depression is scarce. We aimed to investigate these differences using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2016. Chronotypes were categorised based on mid-sleep time on free days corrected by sleep debt accumulated on workdays (MSFsc): early type, < mean MSFsc − 1 standard deviation (SD); intermediate type, between mean MSFsc − 1 SD and MSFsc + 1 SD; and late type, > mean MSFsc + 1 SD. A Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score of ≥ 10 indicated depression. Among 5550 non-shift working adults aged 19–80 years, the prevalence rates of depression in the early, intermediate, and late chronotype groups were 7.4%, 4.5%, and 9.3%, respectively. Women with late chronotype (odds ratio [OR] = 2.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.8–4.7) showed a higher risk of depression than women with intermediate chronotype after adjusting for covariates. Women with early chronotype did not show a significant difference in depression risk (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.9–2.0). In conclusion, late chronotype is associated with an increased risk of depression in women but not in men. Early chronotype is not associated with depression in women or men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous materials are commonly employed to combat marine pollution by absorbing oil. However, the release of microplastics or nanoparticles from their synthetic components further exacerbates environmental concerns. In this study, a sustainable and reusable pollen sponge derived from eco‐friendly pollen grains and fabricated using a directional freeze‐drying method is introduced for the first time. These grains undergo a defatting process followed by a controlled hydrolysis process, transforming them into a pollen microgel made of sporopollenin, the primary constituent of a pollen grain's outer layer. The directional freeze‐drying technique is used to fabricate porous structures with controlled orientation using the pollen microgel. The application of a chemical vapor deposition with dodecyltrimethoxysilane (DDTS) grants sponge hydrophobic properties, making it ideal for selective oil absorption. This modified pollen sponge boasts superior absorption capacities (15–59 times its weight) compared to most natural sponges. Additionally, its excellent durability and ability to recover up to 65% of deformation even after 60% strain compression are remarkable with the silanization process tripling the recoverability of pollen sponges. Remarkably, the silanized directional pollen sponge (SDPS) retains this resilience after 100 compression cycles. Therefore, the SDPS emerges as an eco‐conscious solution for repeated and selective oil absorption tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant volume expansion exhibited by high‐capacity active materials upon lithiation has hindered their application as Li‐ion battery anode materials. Although tremendous progress has been made in the development of coating methods that improve the stability of high‐capacity active materials, suitable coating sources that are both strong and economical to use are yet to be discovered. Pitch is reported here as a promising coating source for high‐capacity anodes owing to the high mechanical strength and low‐cost process. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy, it is found that pitch can withstand the severe volume expansion that occurs upon Si lithiation owing to its high mechanical strength, originating from the long‐range graphitic ordering. Notably, pitch‐coated silicon nanolayer–embedded graphite (SG) exhibits superior capacity retention (81.9%) compared to that of acetylene‐coated SG (66%) over 200 cycles in a full‐cell by effectively mitigating volume expansion, even under industrial electrode density conditions (1.6 g cc−1). Thus, this work presents new possibilities for the development of high‐capacity anodes for industrial implementation. With state‐of‐the‐art in situ techniques and fundamental studies, petroleum‐derived pitch demonstrates potential as coating source which addresses mechanical and economic issues of Si anodes. Under industrial electrode conditions, pitch‐coated Si nanolayer–embedded graphite exhibits superior structural and electrochemical stability than other carbon‐coated SGs. This work presents a new breakthrough for practical implementation of the high‐capacity anodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, graphene was physically patterned to allow for Cu-Cu contacts to serve as anchoring points, thereby preventing complete delamination at the interface, and the effect of the inclusion of Cu-Cu contacts on bending fatigue response was evaluated. Direct patterning and roll-based dry transfer process of CVD-grown graphene was used to fabricate patterned Cu-Gr nanolayered composites. Bending fatigue tests were performed to determine the optimal configuration of patterning that can lead to enhanced reliability. The graphene was shown to hinder crack formation and propagation, where the cracks were absorbed at the graphene interface through localized delamination while the patterned area with Cu-Cu contact served as anchoring points to prevent macroscopic delamination. Therefore, the optimized graphene patterning design proposed in this study was shown to provide a good balance in crack absorption at the interface and prevention of global delamination that can significantly enhance the reliability under bending fatigue. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-architectures, such as cellular truss structures, enhance the mechanical properties of structural materials while ensuring that they are lightweight in nature. Among others, stretching-dominated truss structures are known for their high modulus and yield strength, which makes them the best choice for lightweight structural applications. Finite element analysis of octahedral vs. octet structures is used to compare the differences in stress distribution in the stretching-dominated deformation of such trusses. Both octahedral and octet stretching-dominated structures were fabricated by fused deposition modeling (FDM)-based three-dimensional (3D) printing. These micro-architectures are printed with different polymeric materials, such as polylactic acid or polylactide (PLA), nylon 618, and a carbon fiber reinforced composite of PLA (CFRPLA). In addition, the CFRPLA filament with randomly suspended carbon fibers in PLA undergoes shear-induced alignment along the strut direction of the 3D printed micro-trusses, which leads to an improved Young's modulus as compared to the other materials. The properties of the 3D printed stretching-dominated micro-trusses are evaluated by compression testing, finite element analysis (FEA), and thermal analysis. The 3D printed octet structure of CFRPLA with fiber alignment exhibits the highest modulus and yield strength of 0.6 GPa and 17 MPa, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the dimensional effects on the channel strain in transistor structures with epitaxial Si1-xCx stressors embedded in the source/drain region using both nanobeam diffraction and finite element simulations. The sizes of the gate and source/drain exerted a strong influence on the channel strain but in opposite directions: While declining linearly with decreasing source/drain length, the channel strain increases at an escalating rate with decreasing gate length. For source/drain elevation, its effects on the channel strain were found to be quite limited to the top surface region; however, this elevation method could be more effective for short-channel transistors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The effect of varying the density of Ag nanowire networks on their reliability was explored during cyclic bending. The reliability of the Ag nanowire network was degraded as the density of nanowires decreased, which is in contrast to E-beam evaporated dense Cu thin films that showed enhanced reliability for thinner films. The cause for such a reverse trend is explained by a percolation mechanism considering that the failure in the Ag nanowire network occurs locally at the junctions that are randomly distributed as opposed to fatigue-induced channel crack formation in a Cu thin film. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) annealing of submicron Al pillars (∼300–450 nm in diameter) fabricated by focused ion beam (FIB) shows that the dislocation loops formed by the high energy Ga + ion beam impact near the material surface can be removed by annealing at around half of the melting point ( T m ). Quantitative analysis of real-time TEM data reveals that the dislocation loops first show a ripening behavior at around 0.4 T m , i.e. larger loops coarsen at the expense of smaller ones. Subsequently, the ripened loops start to shrink and are eventually annihilated at ∼0.5 T m by the diffusion of thermally activated vacancies. Microcompression tests on the as-fabricated and annealed pillars suggest that the FIB-induced defects, particularly dislocation loops, distinctively affect the deformation behavior of submicron Al pillars; while the yield and flow stresses appear unaffected by the annealing, strain bursts are larger and more frequent in the annealed pillars compared to those of as-fabricated samples. In-situ TEM compression revealed that the initial plastic deformation and subsequent plastic flow of Al pillars are significantly altered by the presence of FIB-induced dislocation loops, as they actively respond to the applied stress. We observe that the initial dislocation activity in most FIB-prepared pillars was the glide of FIB-induced dislocation loops. With further straining, the dislocation loops escaped the pillar, leaving slip steps at the pillar surface and/or dislocation debris within the pillar volume via the interaction with other mobile dislocations. The subsequent dislocation slip is mostly localized at these locations, thereby forming large slip steps. Contrarily, in the case of annealed pillars, the deformation was rather homogeneous with the formation of multiple fine slip steps. The present direct TEM observations contribute to the understanding of the nature of FIB-induced defects and reveal their distinct roles in the deformation behaviors of submicron pillars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We investigated the relationship between transcranial Doppler (TCD) pulsatility index (PI) and central aortic pressure by measurement of the aortic augmentation index (AIx). METHODS We enrolled 148 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke. Patients were eligible for the study if they experienced their first ischemic stroke within the preceding 7 days and were 45 years of age or older. At Day 7 (±2) after stroke onset, TCD studies were performed and AIx was measured by applanation tonometry on the same days. RESULTS The mean age was 66.3 (47-90) years and 37.8% were women. The mean middle cerebral artery (MCA) PI was significantly related with age ( r =.361), hypertension ( r = .184), peripheral systolic blood pressure (SBP; r = .211), peripheral pulse pressure (PP; r = .396), aortic SBP ( r = .184), aortic DBP ( r = -.181), and aortic PP ( r = .371). The basilar artery (BA) PI was significantly related with age ( r = .311), peripheral DBP ( r = -.267), peripheral PP ( r = .358), aortic DBP ( r = -.266), and aortic PP ( r = .347). CONCLUSIONS TCD PI was significantly related with central aortic pressure, especially PP. The PI in the MCA and BA is closely associated with the pulsatile component of BP in the systemic circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recently developed textile and paper based supercapacitors are well-suited for wearable energy storage devices due to their mechanical flexibility and stretchability. In this study, the effects of mechanical straining on carbon nanotube coated textiles are studied, and we demonstrate the pre-straining of the textile can result in an enhanced specific capacitance as well as power and energy densities. In-situ resistance measurement during mechanical straining of the textile capacitors show a decrease in resistance with tensile straining, which contributed directly to the enhancement of electrochemical performance. Two different carbon nanotube textiles based on polyester and cotton with different mechanical behaviors are examined, where the polyester textile show an increase in specific capacitance from 53.6 F g−1 to 85.7 F g−1 after the textile is pre-strained to 30% permanent elongation prior to electrochemical testing, constituting a 37% enhancement. Similarly, the cotton textile shows an enhancement in specific capacitance from 122.1 F g−1 to 142.0 F g−1 after 30% permanent elongation, which is a 22% enhancement. Specific capacitance, energy density, and power density are increased further by electroplating of MnO2 nanoparticles on the carbon nanotube coated cotton textile and then imposing a permanent elongation of 30%. Our results indicate that the simple mechanical pre-straining of the textile fibers contribute to significant enhancements in the electrochemical performance of the supercapacitors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: External stresses are applied during operation or storage in flexible electronics, which makes understanding time-dependent plastic deformation of nanobuilding blocks more crucial for ensuring the reliability of the devices. Here, we systematically explored the time-dependent nanoscale plasticity of single-crystal ZnO nanorods and its size effects. A series of compression creep tests under different low stresses (in elastic regime) were performed on vertically oriented rods having equivalent diameters in the range of ∼200 to ∼2000nm. It was revealed that creep indeed occurs in the rods even at ambient temperature, and is more pronounced in smaller nanorods. Analyzing the stress exponent and the activation volume suggests that the enhanced plasticity may be controlled by the diffusion creep (through the “space-charge layer” near the surface and/or along the interface between the punch and the top surface of the rod), which is supported by the results from in situ creep tests under electron-beam irradiation and in situ electric measurements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Vertically aligned, cylindrical tin nanopillars have been fabricated via an electron beam lithography and electroplating method. Characterization by a non-destructive synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction (μSXRD) technique revealed that the tin nanostructures are body-centered tetragonal and are likely single-crystalline, or consist of a few large grains. The mechanical properties of tin nanopillars with average diameters of 920nm, 560nm, and 350nm were studied by uniaxial compression in a nanoindenter outfitted with a flat punch diamond tip. The results of compression tests reveal strain rate sensitivity for nanoscale tin deformation, which matches closely to the previously reported bulk tin values. However, unlike bulk, tin nanopillars exhibit size-dependent flow stresses where smaller diameter specimens exhibit greater attained strengths. The observed size-dependence matches closely to that previously reported for single-crystalline face centered cubic metals at the nanoscale. μSXRD data was used to compare the dislocation density between as-fabricated and deformed tin nanopillars. Results of this comparison suggest that there is no measurable accumulation of dislocations within deformed tin nanopillars. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although foldable electronic devices have been commercially available for some time now, flexible protective coating with sufficient reliability is yet to be achieved. The integration of polyurethane acrylate and an organic-inorganic (O-I) siloxane hybrid is proposed in this study as a promising protective coating, where both high strength and stretchability could be achieved to allow for the needed reliability for foldable electronics. In this work, a urethane-methacrylate siloxane hybrid (U-MSH) composite was fabricated by a physical blending of methacrylate-functionalized oligosiloxane and acrylate terminated urethane prepolymer followed by curing. The U-MSH composite demonstrates excellent performance in terms of optical (e.g., transmittance, Abbe number, UV stability) and mechanical properties (e.g., resilience under compression, tension, and scratch). These outstanding properties can be attributed to the synergetic effect of the combined polyurethane acrylate and O-I siloxane hybrid. Excellent reliability of U-MSH coating film is successfully demonstrated using an outward-bending test, suggesting that U-MSH has great potential as a protective material for flexible electronics. • UV-curable acrylate-terminated urethane prepolymer was synthesized via urethane formation reaction. • Methacrylate-functionalized siloxane resin was synthesized via sol-gel reaction. • Highly transparent urethane-methacrylate siloxane hybrid composite (U-MSH) material was successfully fabricated. • U-MSH exhibited the excellent performance in tensile, compression and scratch tests. • U-MSH coating film is demonstrated without shrinkage/cracking and endured outward-bending test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The biaxial modulus and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) films with the thickness of 300 nm were characterized using the substrate curvature method on two different substrates. The elastic modulus of the GST films was also separately determined using nanoindentation. Measured biaxial modulus and CTE from substrate curvature method were 29.5±1.87 GPa and (13.3±1.39)×10−6 K−1 for the amorphous state and 36.8±1.54 GPa and (17.4±1.21)×10−6 K−1 for the crystalline state. The elastic moduli determined using nanoindentation for the amorphous and crystalline states were 33.9±0.67 GPa and 58.7±0.48 GPa, respectively. Based on the results of the thermomechanical properties, the stresses in the phase-change random access memory (PRAM) structures were calculated using finite element analysis (FEA) considering the thermal and the phase-change stress. The FEA simulations showed that the thermal stress is higher in magnitude than the phase-change stress in a PRAM structure, but the gradient of the phase-change stress is higher than the gradient of the thermal stress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A strategy for improving the stability of nickel-based solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anodes via compositional and microstructural engineering is presented. Ni content was reduced to 2 vol%, and nanosized Ni particles were uniformly dispersed in a mixed ionic-electronic conducting matrix comprising gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) using a thin-film technique. Remarkable stability with no performance deterioration even after 100 reduction-oxidation cycles could be observed for the optimized nanostructured anodes. Cell performance at 500°C was enhanced, exceeding 650 mW/cm2. This study offers valuable insights for enhancing the durability, performance, and productivity of SOFCs. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defect-free AuAg alloy nanowires have the potential to be used in various plasmonic devices due to their superior chemical stability and broad applicable range of wavelengths. Alloyed nanowires have different stacking fault energies that can result in different deformation behavior compared to single element nanowires; however, an in-depth analysis of such material system is yet to be explored. In this study, defect-free single crystalline Au 30 Ag 70 alloy nanowires are synthesized by topotaxial growth method and tested in tension using an in-situ pico-indenter. Deformation twinning that results in superplastic deformation of alloy nanowires is experimentally observed. The critical dimension of Au 30 Ag 70 alloy nanowires at which transition from ordinary plasticity to deformation twinning occurs, is experimentally determined to be ∼333 nm, which is about 2 time larger than that of Au nanowires. Stacking fault energy, which is the key element determining the deformation mode, of Au 30 Ag 70 alloy nanowires is 21 mJ/m2, which is smaller than that of Au nanowire with stacking fault energy of 31 mJ/m2. The decrease in the stacking fault energy in the case of the alloy nanowires resulted in stabilization of deformation twinning to a larger critical dimension before transitioning to ordinary plasticity. • Fabrication of defect-free, single crystalline Au 30 Ag 70 alloy nanowires. • In-situ tensile tests of the Au 30 Ag 70 alloy nanowires using Push-to-Pull devices. • Superplastic elongation and deformation twinning observed for diameter <333 nm. • Orientation of the wire changed from [110] to [100]. • Critical dimension for twinning increased by the decrease in stacking fault energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pursuit of harnessing superior mechanical properties achieved through the size effect on a macroscopic scale has been a prominent focus in engineering, as size-induced strengthening is enabled only in the nanoscale regime. This study presents a metal/ceramic/metal (MCM) nanocomposite reinforced by ceramic nanoarchitectures. Through proximity-field nanopatterning, the inch-scale production of nanoarchitecture films is enabled in a single fabrication step. The developed three-dimensional (3D) Ni/Al 2 O 3 /Ni nanocomposite film exhibits significantly high compressive strength, corresponding to an increase of approximately 30% compared with that calculated using the upper limits of the conventional rule of mixtures. The exceptional strength of the 3D MCM nanocomposite can be attributed to the extrinsic size effect of the ceramic nanoarchitectures. By combining size-induced strengthening of ceramics with the strengthening law for composites, a new type of strengthening model is derived and experimentally validated using the 3D MCM nanocomposite.