Abstract
The mechanical response of double coiled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was examined with an atomic force microscopy (AFM) based technique. The compression and tension measurements were carried out in the lateral force image mode. The spring constant of the coiled CNTs and the shear modulus of CNTs have been derived, respectively. We found that the spring constant of the coiled CNT suddenly decreased while the coiled CNT buckled. The shear modulus of CNTs, 3 ± 0.2 GPa, calculated from the spring constant of coiled CNTs is extremely low, compared with well-known high tensile strength of CNTs, ∼1 TPa. The results suggest that the motion of coiled CNTs is mainly relative to the behavior of the slide between the inner tubes of multi-walled CNTs (MWNTs).
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
