Developments and Future Perspectives in Nanowires Mechanics

With the advancement of micro- and nano-scale devices and systems, there has been growing interest in understanding material mechanics at small scales. Nanowires, as fundamental one-dimensional building blocks, offer significant advantages for constructing micro/nano-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) and serve as an ideal platform for studying their size-dependent mechanical properties. This paper reviews the development and current state of nanowire mechanical testing over the past decade. The first part introduces the related issues of nanowire mechanical testing. The second section explores several key topics and the latest research progress regarding the mechanical properties of nanowires, including ultralarge elastic strain, large plastic strain, 'smaller is stronger', cold welding, and ductile-to-brittle transition. Finally, the paper envisions future development directions, identifying possible research hotspots and application prospects. © The Author(s) 2024