A stretched carbon nanotube with a high-density of topological defect

We have developed a theoretical method to obtain a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) with a high density of topological defects. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) sustain elastic elongation up to 15-30% at low temperature because of the sufficiently high barrier of bond rotations. A large number of topological defects are activated simultaneously and widely distributed over the entire tube wall after heating the stretched tube to an elevated temperature. This is driven by the internal energy of the strained carbon nanotubes. The manner in which topological defects are distributed is affected by the initial strain and the heating temperature. Nanotubes with a large number of topological defects achieve the elongation without breaking.