Nanomachines Based on Carbon Nanotubes

TL;DR

This paper explores the use of double-wall carbon nanotubes as nanoscale mechanical devices, analyzing their motion barriers and proposing new nanodevices like nanodrills and nanoresistors based on their relative wall movements.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of using double-wall carbon nanotubes as mechanical nanodevices, detailing their motion dynamics and proposing novel applications.

Findings

Calculated barriers for wall motion along helical lines.

Analyzed dynamics of wall motion under external forces.

Proposed new nanotube-based nanodevices.

Abstract

The possibility for double-wall carbon nanotube to operate as the bolt and nut pair is studied. The barriers for relative motions of walls along the helical "thread" line and for jumps on neighbour helical lines are calculated as functions of wall lengths for the set of double-wall carbon nanotubes. The dynamics of relative motion of carbon nanotube walls along the helical line under the action of external forces is considered. Perforated nanodrill, variable nanoresistor and other principally new nanotube based mechanical nanodevices using these motion are proposed. Possible operation modes of proposed nanodevices are discussed.