Interface Driven Pseudo-Elasticity in a-Fe Nanowires

Y Yang and SZ Li and XD Ding and J Sun and EKH Salje, ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, 26, 760-767 (2016).

DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201504085

Molecular dynamics simulations of bent 100 -Fe nanowires show the nucleation of twins and nanoscale interfaces that lead to pseudo- elasticity during loading/unloading cycles. The new type of interfaces along 110 stems from the accumulation of individual < 111 >/112 twin boundaries and stores high interfacial energies. These nonconventional interfaces provide a large part of the driving force for shape recovery upon unloading, while the minimization of surface energy is no longer the dominant driving force. This new pseudo-elastic effect is not much affected by surface roughness, and can be extended over a wide range of wire diameters, if the sample is seeded with conventional twin boundaries, which will transform to the desired 110 interfaces under bending.

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