Elastic and electrostatic properties of bamboo-shaped carbon nanotubes

A technology has been developed to synthesize films of bamboo-shaped carbon nanotubes from simple nanotubes by high-frequency oxygen plasma etching for 30 and 60 s. The electronic structure and mechanical properties of bamboo-shaped single-walled carbon nanotubes have been studied theoretically. Compartments in these structures are located at an optimum distance that corresponds to a decrease in the ionization potential and an improvement of the emission properties. It has been revealed that the Young’s and torsion moduli of the bamboo-shaped carbon nanotubes depend on the number of compartments. These tubes have their own dipole moments in contrast to the hollow defect-free tubes. It has been shown that bamboo-shaped nanotubes 1.37 nm in diameter are the most stable nanoclusters.