Probing the nanomechanics of single grain boundary with decorated solutes

晶界(GB)在热力学上很容易吸引溶质来降低系统能量。通过分离精心操纵GB的纳米结构和化学本质上可以有利于而不是有害于材料的性能。然而，由于多晶体中GB的复杂性，GB偏析的潜在机制及其对材料性能的详细影响仍然难以捉摸。通过相关的原位纳米力学测试和原子探针层析成像，本项目旨在揭示单个金属棒偏析行为的理论基础及其对提高材料性能的有效性，从而使先进金属材料的纳米结构设计具有前所未有的性能。

Grain boundaries (GBs) are thermodynamically susceptible to attract solutes to reduce system energy. Elaborately manipulating the GB nanostructure and chemistry via segregation can essentially be conducive, rather than detrimental, to materials performance. However, the underlying mechanism of GB segregation and its detailed effect on material properties remain elusive due to the GB complexities in the polycrystals. Through correlative in-situ nanomechanical testing and atom probe tomography, this project aims to unravel the rationale of segregation behaviour of individual GBs and its effectiveness to enhance the material performance, and hence enable nanostructural design of advanced metallic materials with unprecedented properties.