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Science 26 May 2006:
Vol. 312. no. 5777, pp. 1199 - 1202
DOI: 10.1126/science.1124594
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Reports

Carbon Nanotubes as High-Pressure Cylinders and Nanoextruders

L. Sun,1 F. Banhart,1* A. V. Krasheninnikov,2,3 J. A. Rodríguez-Manzo,4 M. Terrones,4 P. M. Ajayan5

Closed-shell carbon nanostructures, such as carbon onions, have been shown to act as self-contracting high-pressure cells under electron irradiation. We report that controlled irradiation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes can cause large pressure buildup within the nanotube cores that can plastically deform, extrude, and break solid materials that are encapsulated inside the core. We further showed by atomistic simulations that the internal pressure inside nanotubes can reach values higher than 40 gigapascals. Nanotubes can thus be used as robust nanoscale jigs for extruding and deforming hard nanomaterials and for modifying their properties, as well as templates for the study of individual nanometer-sized crystals under high pressure.

1 Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Universität Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany.
2 Accelerator Laboratory, University of Helsinki, Post Office Box 43, FIN-00014, Finland.
3 Laboratory of Physics, Helsinki University of Technology, Post Office Box 1100, Helsinki 02015, Finland.
4 Advanced Materials Department, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Camino a la Presa San José 2055, Col. Lomas 4a. sección, 78216 San Luis Potosí, México.
5 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180–3590, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Banhart{at}uni-mainz.de

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