Bidirectional regulation of configuration of the carbon nanotube containing a water droplet

F Wang and ZZ Cui and DC Li and BH Ji, NANOTECHNOLOGY, 31, 295603 (2020).

DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ab8519

Carbon nanotube complexes are known for their miraculous mechanical and electronic properties that are crucial for nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS). In this study, through molecular dynamics simulations we found for the first time that the electric field and temperature can be used to co-regulate a reversible change of cross-sectional configuration of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). We showed that the electric field can help induce the collapse of an SWCNT when it contains a water droplet, while the increase of temperature can quickly recover its configuration. This controllable bistability of SWCNTs is promising for the design of nanodevices such as electromechanical switches in NEMS.

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