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Cutting Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes with an Electron Beam: Evidence for Atom Migration Inside Nanotubes
Author(s) -
Banhart Florian,
Li Jixue,
Terrones Mauricio
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.200500162
Subject(s) - carbon nanotube , materials science , cathode ray , annealing (glass) , electron beam processing , electron , atom (system on chip) , tube (container) , irradiation , beam (structure) , carbon fibers , nanotechnology , molecular physics , composite material , atomic physics , optics , chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , composite number , computer science , nuclear physics , embedded system
Bundles of single‐walled carbon nanotubes are cut by applying a focused energetic electron beam. During cutting, the displaced atoms from the walls are injected into the tubes and migrate in the axial direction. After cutting, the tube ends close, and interstitial atoms become trapped in the hollow core (see picture). Repeated cutting of the same tubes occurs at slower rates due to fast defect annealing with atoms inside the tubes. Tubes filled with carbon atoms are therefore more robust under irradiation.