We investigate the influence of various critical structural aspects such as pore density, distribution, size and number on the deformation behavior of nanoporous Cu64 Zr36 glass. By using molecular dynamics and finite element simulations an effective strategy to control the strain localization in nanoporous heterostructures is provided. Depending on the pore distribution in the heterostructure, upon tensile loading the nanoporous glass showed a clear transition from a catastrophic fracture to localized deformation in one dominant shear band, and ultimately to homogeneous plastic flow mediated by a pattern of multiple shear bands. The change in the fracture mechanism from a shear band slip to necking-like homogeneous flow is quantitative interpreted by calculating the critical shear band length. Finally, we identify the most effective heterostructure with enhanced ductility as compared to the monolithic bulk metallic glass. The heterostructure with a fraction of pores of about 3% distributed in such a way that the pores do not align along the maximum shear stress direction shows higher plasticity while retaining almost the same strength as the monolithic glass. Our results provide clear evidence that the mechanical properties of nanoporous glassy materials can be tailored by carefully controlling the design parameters

We explore the elastic and plastic Poisson’s ratios, νE and νP, of nanoporous gold, using digital image correlation during compression experiments including load/unload segments. The two coefficients differ significantly, with νE independent of the ligament size, L, and with a trend for νP∝L at not too large L. Disorder in the network of ligaments may explain why νE is smaller than predicted by lattice-based models. Finite element simulations, based on the Deshpande–Fleck constitutive law, validate the data analysis. The constitutive law captures work-hardening and transverse flow of nanoporous gold in good agreement with the experiment