Crystalline pentagonal nano- and microrods (PRs) and pentagonal nano- and microparticles (PPs) with 5-fold symmetry are studied. Structure of PRs and PPs and their elastic distortions are characterized in the framework of the disclination approach. Relaxation of mechanical stresses due to disclinations causes structural transformations in PRs and PPs. Experimental evidence of such transformations, namely, the appearance of internal cavities and pores, and growth of whiskers in copper PRs and PPs grown in the process of electrodeposition is demonstrated. A brief review of existing models of stress relaxation in PRs and PPs is presented. We discuss a new model of nanowhisker growth based on the nucleation of two dislocation loops of opposite signs near the surface of the crystal with disclination. As a result, vacancy-type dislocation loop remains in the material and serves as a nucleus for cavity, while the interstitial loop comes to the free surface and contributes to whisker growth.

Pentagonal nanorods (PNRs) are crystalline objects with unique fivefold symmetry. They are often experimentally observed for materials with FCC crystal structure. In an ideal case a PNR consists of five elastically distorted but otherwise perfect crystalline regions divided by low-energy twin boundaries. The elastic distortions in PNRs and associated stored elastic energy are effectively described in the framework of a disclination approach. As a result of mechanical stress relaxation, the stored energy can be diminished in expense of structural defect formation in PRN interior. It is demonstrated that a perfect multiple twinned PNR structure is unstable with respect to dislocation formation, i.e. prismatic dislocation loop or straight edge dislocation, for PNRs above a certain critical diameter. A new mechanism for the relaxation processes in PNRs is theoretically investigated. This mechanism assumes the formation of the shell possessing crystal lattice mismatch with respect to the PNR core region. The optimal magnitude for core/shell crystal lattice mismatch and optimal shell thickness providing maximum energy release for this mechanism of mechanical stress relaxation, are predicted.

We theoretically analyze three models, which correspond to three different ways of the elastic energy relaxation in buried quantum dots. The first model considers formation of a pair of prismatic dislocation loops. One of them lies on dot/matrix interface, whereas the other is a satellite and locates in the adjacent matrix. The second model also includes the satellite loop and differs from the first one by non-local reduction of the dot plastic distortion. The origin of the satellite loop is the materials conservation requirement. The third model considers the case when this requirement is violated and only the misfit dislocation loop is formed. We determine the critical radii of the dots and loops, as well as the dependence of the satellite loop size on the dot size. The model calculation are compared to the relevant experimental data.