Diameter-dependent bending dynamics of single-walled carbon nanotubes in liquids.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 19706503.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1073/pnas.0904148106 and PMC identifier 2732870.
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Abstract
By relating nanotechnology to soft condensed matter, understanding the mechanics and dynamics of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in fluids is crucial for both fundamental and applied science. Here, we study the Brownian bending dynamics of individual chirality-assigned SWCNTs in water by fluorescence microscopy. The bending stiffness scales as the cube of the nanotube diameter and the shape relaxation times agree with the semiflexible chain model. This suggests that SWCNTs may be the archetypal semiflexible filaments, highly suited to act as nanoprobes in complex fluids or biological systems.
Medical subject headings
- Carbon
- Nanotechnology
- Nanotubes, Carbon
- Water