Transmission-electron-microscopic studies of mechanical properties of single-walled carbon nanotube bundles

Abstract

The mechanical properties of single-walled carbon nanotube bundles were studied via the observation of mechanical resonance in a transmission electron microscope. The bundles were capacitively actuated using tunable ac signals applied through a custom built specimen holder. Resonant frequencies ranging from 0.2to9MHz were observed in bundles of diameters and lengths ranging from 15to70nm, and from 1to10μm, respectively. An effective bending modulus of Eb=76±4GPa was extracted from the data. Onset of nonlinear frequency response was observed under large actuation amplitudes.