Structural flexibility of carbon nanotubes
Abstract
We report high resolution electron microscope (HREM) observations and atomistic simulations of the bending of single and multi-walled carbon nanotubes under mechanical duress. Single and multiple kinks are observed at high bending angles. Their occurrence is quantitatively explained by the simulations, which use a realistic many-body potential for the carbon atoms. We show that the bending is fully reversible up to very large bending angles, despite the occurrence of kinks and highly strained tube regions. This is due to the remarkable flexibility of the hexagonal network, which resists bond breaking and bond switching up to very high strain values.
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CNTs show great flexibility compared to conventional fiber reinforcements.
“CNTs also shows great flexibility compared to conventional fiber reinforcements [102].”
From Shape-memory polymers for multiple applications in the materials world (2016) · cites this paper as [102]
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Bending and buckling of carbon nanotubes under large strain
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Shape-memory polymers for multiple applications in the materials world
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- Authors
- Iijima, S., Brabec, C., Maiti, A., & Bernholc, J.
- Affiliations
- NEC (Japan) (JP)
- North Carolina State University (US)
- Venue
- The Journal of Chemical Physics
- Publisher
- AIP Publishing
- Published
- 1996-02-01
- Volume
- 104
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 2089-2092
- ISSN
- 0021-9606 (ISSN-L)
- 1089-7690
- OpenAlex
- W2074951219
- Cited by
- 1,250
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 42 · 2019: 31 · 2018: 56 · 2017: 36 · 2016: 52 · 2015: 46 · 2014: 41 · 2013: 49 · 2012: 64
- FWCI
- 23.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Chemical Physics (publishedVersion)
- NCSU Libraries Repository (North Carolina State University Libraries) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Carbon Nanotubes in Composites
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Graphene research and applications
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Boron and Carbon Nanomaterials Research
- Keywords
- carbon nanotubes, structural flexibility, bending, kinks, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, single-walled carbon nanotubes, many-body potentials, hexagonal network, bond cleavage, bond switching, reversible deformation, high strain
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