title: Defect healing and enhanced nucleation of carbon nanotubes by low-energy ion bombardment.
abstract: Structural defects inevitably appear during the nucleation event that determines the structure and properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes. By combining ion bombardment experiments with atomistic simulations we reveal that ion bombardment in a suitable energy range allows these defects to be healed resulting in an enhanced nucleation of the carbon nanotube cap. The enhanced growth of the nanotube cap is explained by a nonthermal ion-induced graphene network restructuring mechanism.
authors: University of Antwerp, Department of Chemistry, PLASMANT Research Group, 2610 Wilrijk-Antwerp, Belgium. erik.neyts@ua.ac.be
authors: E C
authors: EC
authors: Neyts
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Ostrikov
authors: Z J
authors: ZJ
authors: Han
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Kumar
authors: A C T
authors: AC
authors: van Duin
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Bogaerts