Twisting Graphene Nanoribbons into Carbon Nanotubes

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates through simulations and modeling that graphene nanoribbons can be twisted into carbon nanotubes with controllable chiralities, offering a novel nanofabrication method applicable to other materials.

Contribution

It introduces a new twisting technique to convert graphene nanoribbons into carbon nanotubes, enabling control over their chirality.

Findings

Graphene nanoribbons can be transformed into nanotubes via twisting.

The chirality of resulting nanotubes can be predicted and controlled.

The method is generalizable to other planar nanomaterials.

Abstract

Although carbon nanotubes consist of honeycomb carbon, they have never been fabricated from graphene directly. Here, it is shown by quantum molecular-dynamics simulations and classical continuum-elasticity modeling, that graphene nanoribbons can, indeed, be transformed into carbon nanotubes by means of twisting. The chiralities of the tubes thus fabricated can be not only predicted but also externally controlled. This twisting route is an opportunity for nanofabrication, and is easily generalizable to ribbons made of other planar nanomaterials.