A study was presented of the deformation of gold nanowires with diameters of 30 to 70nm and nanoporous gold specimens with ligament diameters of 5 to 10nm, both produced by electrodeposition into anodised aluminium oxide templates. The nanowires showed extensive surface slip steps and low dislocation densities with a few perfect dislocation loops, Shockley partial dislocations and microtwins observed after deformation. Nanoporous specimens showed deformation localised to the nodes between the ligaments of the foamed structure, with high densities of microtwins and Shockley partial dislocations in these regions. Similar dislocation structures were seen in larger nanowires deformed in bending. This was shown to be consistent with a strain gradient plasticity model for the deformation of nanoporous gold, with the strain gradient accommodated by geometrically necessary twins and partial dislocations.

Deformation Mechanisms in Gold Nanowires and Nanoporous Gold. R.Dou, B.Derby: Philosophical Magazine, 2011, 91[7-9], 1070-83