The defects created by the low-energy irradiation of single-wall carbon nanotubes were analyzed using Raman spectroscopy. The analysis was based upon the recovery curves of the G/D ratio and there was no need to assume a specific functional form between the G/D ratio and the defect density. The obtained activation energies for defect healing were 0.7 or 1.4eV, depending upon the extent of the damage. These were close to the values for the recombination barriers of vacancy-adatom defects. Calculated recovery curves of the G/D ratio at room temperature showed that the recovery was so slow that almost no recovery was observed at usual time-scales. This was consistent with experimental results.

Activation Energy of Healing of Low-Energy Irradiation-Induced Defects in Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes. S.Suzuki, K.Yamaya, Y.Homma, Y.Kobayashi: Carbon, 2010, 48[11], 3211-7