A controllable collapsed/circular nanoactuator based on carbon nanotube

We performed molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the transformation between collapsed and circular cross-sectioned single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT). It is shown that, by tuning the surface energy of SWCNT via an external field, the shape of a SWCNT can be transformed from the collapsed form to circular cross-sectioned form or vice versa, demonstrating promising applications as actuators and motors in nanomechanical systems. Phase diagrams of the surface energy threshold with varying diameters of the SWCNT and environmental temperature were computed, providing quantitative guidelines for the design of such a nanoactuator.