Simultaneous measurement of Young’s and shear moduli of multiwalled carbon nanotubes using atomic force microscopy

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are widely hailed as the strongest material known to mankind. However, experimental measurements—and even theoretical estimates—of their mechanical properties span a wide range. We present an atomic force microscopy study of multiwalled CNTs, which, unlike previous such studies, measures the tube compliance as a function of position along suspended tubes. This permits a simultaneous determination of the effective Young’s and shear moduli of CNTs: 350±110 and 1.4±0.3GPa, respectively.