Based on first-principles calculations we show that gold atoms can form both freestanding and tip-suspended chiral single-wall nanotubes composed of helical atomic strands. The freestanding, infinite (5,5) tube is found to be energetically the most favorable. While energetically less favorable, the experimentally observed (5,3) tube stretching between two tips corresponds to a local minimum in ...

Unusual physical properties of single-wall carbon nanotubes have started a search for similar tubular structures of other elements. In this paper, we present a theoretical analysis of single-wall nanotubes of silicon and group-III-V compounds. Starting from precursor graphenelike structures we investigated the stability, energetics, and electronic structure of zigzag and armchair tubes using th...

A bstract. Detailed growth mechanism of single-wall nanotube bundles and of multiwall nanotubes of carbon is investigated using ab initio and parametrized calculations. Our results show that single-wall tubes grow only in presence of a catalyst, whereas multi-wall tubes, stabilized at the growing edge by a covalent "lip-lip" interaction, may form in a pure carbon atmosphere. The individual tube...

density-functional theory is used to investigate sulfur dioxide physisorption inside and outside of single-wall carbon nanotube of (5,0) and (5,5). this study is conducted at b3lyp/6-31g* level of theory. sulfur dioxide molecule is studied with axis oriented parallel or perpendicular to the nanotube wall. both internal and external adsorption on nanotubes is increased with the angle of interact...

Uniform dispersion of pre-synthesized nanotubes in metal matrices is difficult to achieve, and there is substantial damage to the nanotubes during subsequent composite fabrication. The demonstration of an in-situ process involving chemical vapor deposition of single-wall and multi-wall carbon nanotubes into iron matrices without the concomitant formation of iron carbides is reported here. It wa...