Revealing nanoscale plasticity of metallic nanosponges with correlative and scale-bridging 3D microscopy and modelling

Przybilla T, Xie Z, Prakash A, Thiess E, Niekiel F, Apeleo Zubiri B, Mackovic M, Schweizer P, Guenole J, Kelly ST, Bale HA, Wang D, Sandfeld S, Bitzek E, Spiecker E (2025)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2025

Journal

Communications Materials Springer Nature

Book Volume: 6

Article Number: 204

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1038/s43246-025-00914-z

Abstract

Metallic nanosponges are well known to exhibit distinct mechanical properties that are considered to originate from the interwoven mechanics of the nanoscale ligaments as individual units and as a network. A comprehensive understanding of the physical mechanisms behind these properties spanning over several length scales is to date lacking. Here, by employing a correlative and scale-bridging workflow combining non-destructive 3D electron and X-ray tomography, in situ mechanics and experimentally-informed real-size modelling, we reveal the atomic origins of size dependent deformation mechanisms of nanoporous gold ranging from sub-ten to hundreds of nanometers. A realistic distribution of geometries and sizes of the ligaments appears to be crucial to accurately capture the mechanical response of nanoporous gold, including deformation gradients and plasticity. Our workflow demonstrates the potential for exploring the atomistic mechanisms of material plasticity with geometrical complexity. (Figure presented.)

Authors with CRIS profile

Thomas Przybilla Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Zhuocheng Xie Professur für Datenbasierte Materialmodellierung Aruna Prakash Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Allgemeine Werkstoffeigenschaften) Florian Niekiel Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Benjamin Apeleo Zubiri Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Mirza Mackovic Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Peter Schweizer Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung) Julien Guenole Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Allgemeine Werkstoffeigenschaften) Erik Bitzek Professur für Datenbasierte Materialmodellierung Erdmann Spiecker Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Mikro- und Nanostrukturforschung)

Additional Organisation(s)

Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM)

Involved external institutions

Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg DE Germany (DE) Carl Zeiss AG DE Germany (DE) Technische Universität Ilmenau DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Przybilla, T., Xie, Z., Prakash, A., Thiess, E., Niekiel, F., Apeleo Zubiri, B.,... Spiecker, E. (2025). Revealing nanoscale plasticity of metallic nanosponges with correlative and scale-bridging 3D microscopy and modelling. Communications Materials, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-025-00914-z

MLA:

Przybilla, Thomas, et al. "Revealing nanoscale plasticity of metallic nanosponges with correlative and scale-bridging 3D microscopy and modelling." Communications Materials 6.1 (2025).

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