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instructions. These instructions are also obtainable from the
privacy link at the bottom of any RSC page. The mechanisms of
plasticity in metal nanowires with diameters below 100 nm are
reviewed. At these length scales, plasticity in face-centered-
cubic metals subjected to uniaxial loading is dominated by
dislocation nucleation from free surfaces, which has been
studied extensively by molecular dynamics. These simulations
show that nanowires can deform in a variety of ways including
slip via perfect dislocations, partial dislocations and
deformation twins. The competition between these mechanisms can
be explained primarily through the Schmid factor and material
properties, although surface orientation and roughness also
contribute. The strength of these materials is very high and can
be described by classical nucleation theory