IUTAM Symposium on Surface Effects in the Mechanics of Nanomaterials and Heterostructures

This volume constitutes the proceedings of the IUTAM Symposium on Surface Effects in the Mechanics of Nanomaterials and Heterostructures, held in Beijing, 8-12 August, 2010. The symposium brought together the most active scientists working in this area from the fields of solid mechanics, composites, physics, and materials science and summarized the state-of-the-art research results with a view to advancing the frontiers of mechanics and materials physics.

Nanomaterials and heterostructures have a large fraction of their atoms at surfaces and interfaces. These atoms see a different environment to those in the interior and can have a substantial effect on the overall mechanical and physical behaviour of a material. The last decade has witnessed a growing interest in the study of surfaces and how the surface behaviour couples with that of the bulk to determine the overall system response.

The papers in this proceedings cover: extension of continuum mechanics and thermodynamics to the nano-scale; multiscale simulations; surface effects in monolithic nano-scale elements and nanostructures; mechanical and physical properties of nanomaterials and heterostructures; self-assembly, etc. The surface stress effect is inherently a multidisciplinary and fertile field; the Symposium truly reflects these features.

This IUTAM Symposium was also dedicated to Professor Bhushan L Karihaloo of Cardiff University on his impending retirement, in recognition of his contributions to the fields of solid mechanics and nanomechanics, and to IUTAM activities in general.