Self-assembly of single-walled carbon nanotubes into multiwalled carbon nanotubes in water: molecular dynamics simulations.
basic_science · Level V
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Abstract
We report discoveries from a series of molecular dynamics simulations that single-walled carbon nanotubes, with different diameters, lengths, and chiralities, can coaxially self-assemble into multiwalled carbon nanotubes in water via spontaneous insertion of smaller tubes into larger ones. The assembly process is tube-size-dependent, and the driving force is primarily the intertube van der Waals interactions. The simulations also suggest that a multiwalled carbon nanotube may be separated into single-walled carbon nanotubes under appropriate solvent conditions. This study suggests possible bottom-up self-assembly routes for the fabrication of novel nanodevices and systems.