Carbon nanotubes: pressure-induced transformations and voltage generation by flow of liquids

Carbon nanotubes are new forms of carbon with many novel and fascinating properties. We will focus on our ongoing work on single-walled carbon nanotubes related to the pressure-induced transformations and liquid-flow induced voltage generation. High-pressure synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Raman experiments under hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic pressure conditions have revealed a remarkable mechanical resilience of the nanotube bundles. The translational coherence of the triangular lattice in a bundle is lost at pressures greater than about 10 GPa, which is recovered on decompression. Recently, we have shown that the flow of a variety of liquids induces a voltage/current in the sample of nanotubes along the flow direction. The voltage depends on velocity in a sub-linear fashion and the direction of induced current depends on the liquid. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.