Polygonization of carbon nanotubes

TL;DR

This paper develops a multiscale continuum model for multiwalled carbon nanotubes that explains their polygonal cross-sections due to curvature effects and turbostratic structures.

Contribution

It introduces a novel multiscale approach to model multiwalled nanotubes considering both covalent and weak interlayer bonds.

Findings

Predicts polygonal cross-sections of large nanotubes

Links curvature to turbostratic structural changes

Provides a simplified continuum framework

Abstract

We use a multiscale procedure to derive a simple continuum model of multiwalled carbon nanotubes that takes into account both strong covalent bonds within graphene layers and weak bonds between atoms in different layers. The model predicts polygonization of crossections of large multiwalled nanotubes as a consequence of their curvature-induced turbostratic structure.