A review was presented of the continuum theory of defects in nano-scale materials. The critical behavior of dislocations in small particles and nano-grains was considered. The elastic characteristics of dislocations in multi-layer nano-structures, and dislocations near to the tips of wedge-shaped areas, were analyzed. The role of disclinations in the formation of nano-particles with pentagonal symmetry was considered. The specific non-equilibrium state of grain boundaries, which was the cause of large elastic distortions in nano-phase materials was studied, together with the defects which were generated in the junctions and nodes of grain boundaries. Finally, applications of the continuum theory of defects to the explanation of the mechanical properties of nano-phase materials were proposed.

A.E.Romanov: Nanostructured Materials, 1995, 6[1-4], 125-34