Abstract
The stability of open edged multi-walled carbon nanotubes has been investigated by using in situ high resolution transmission electron microscopy at elevated temperatures. Formation of inter-shell structures was experimentally observed for the first time and attributed to a robust interaction between adjacent concentric shells (so-called lip-lip interaction). The fl uctuating behavior of the inter-shell structures suggests a mechanism by which the carbon atoms can pass in or out through the inter-shell edges during carbon nanotube growth or shrinkage processes.
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Open Access This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0 ), which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
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Jin, C., Suenaga, K. & Iijima, S. Direct evidence for lip-lip interactions in multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Nano Res. 1, 434–439 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-008-8045-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-008-8045-0