title: Smallest carbon nanotube is 3 a in diameter.
abstract: Previous energetic considerations have led to the belief that carbon nanotubes (CNTs) of 4 A in diameter are the smallest stable CNTs. Using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, we find that a stable 3 A CNT can be grown inside a multiwalled carbon nanotube. Density functional calculations indicate that the 3 A CNT is the armchair CNT(2,2) with a radial breathing mode at 787 cm(-1). Each end can be capped by half of a C12 cage (hexagonal prism) containing tetragons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 21st Century COE Program "Nano Factory," Meijo University, Nagoya 468-8502, Japan. zhao@ccmfs.meijo-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ando