Single-wall carbon nanotubes as molecular pressure sensors

Specific peaks of the Raman spectrum of single-wall nanotubes shift significantly upon immersion of the tubes in a liquid, relative to the corresponding peaks in air. This observation means that nanotubes are sensitive to molecular forces, and is interpreted by relating the corresponding molecular strain to a thermodynamic parameter, the cohesive energy density (or more loosely, the surface tension) for a range of liquids. We find that nanotubes deform by a different amount for each liquid. Calibration of this phenomenon enables the construction of a compressive stress–strain curve for carbon nanotubes.