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Nature Materials 7, 97–98 (1 February 2008) | doi:10.1038/nmat2103
Nanoscale deformation: Seeing is believing
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Abstract
When a wire coat hanger is bent it becomes mechanically stronger because of the imperfections that are introduced. In situ electron microscopy now shows that small metal structures are strengthened not by adding but by removing imperfections. The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” is as true at the nanoscale as it is in everyday life. On page 115 of this issue, Zhiwei Shan and colleagues describe the in situ deformation of nanometre-sized columns in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) in a way that provides a unique and highly informative glimpse into the world of nanomechanics.
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