Fabrication and buckling behavior of polycrystalline palladium, cobalt, and rhodium nanostructures

► Pd, Co, and Rh nano-pillars with diameter of ∼130 nm were fabricated by using novel electron beam lithography and electroplating techniques. ► Uniaxial compression load and displacement responses of the nanopillars were characterized. ► Pd nano-pillars have the highest fracture toughness followed by Co and Rh pillars. ► Tangent moduli of the three materials were extracted from the experimental results.