Using first-principles calculations of multi-wall carbon nanotubes, the defect-related processes that affected key properties were investigated. It was found that self-interstitial ingression led to bridges between the innermost walls, minimizing carrier scattering in the outer-shells, but also possibly stabilizing radiation damage through vacancy/self-interstitial separation. The self-interstitial bridges amplified the corrugation, energy dissipation and hysteresis under inter-wall displacement. They could thus be detrimental to multi-walled carbon nanotube-based oscillators or actuators, or be exploited as nano-locks and heat nano-pumps.

Defect Formation and Hysteretic Inter-Tube Displacement in Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes. L.Tsetseris, S.T.Pantelides: Carbon, 2011, 49[2], 581-6