Creation of individual vacancies in carbon nanotubes by using an electron beam of 1 A diameter.
The focused electron beam of an aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope is used to create individual vacancies in predefined positions of carbon nanotubes. Vacancies in single-wall tubes are unstable and cause an immediate reconstruction of the lattice between 20 and 700 degrees C. In double-wall tubes, vacancies are stable and observable up to at least 235 degrees C, whereas above 480 degrees C a relaxation of the lattice occurs.
Institut de Physique et Chimie des Materiaux (IPCMS-DESI), Universite de Strasbourg, UMR 7504, 23 rue du loess, 67034 Strasbourg, France.
Julio A
JA
Rodriguez-Manzo
Florian
F
Banhart