The interstitial defect of a nanotube wall structure arose as a result of the interaction of a nanotube with carbon atoms as one of the components of nanostructure formation. By means of molecular dynamics modeling, it was shown that further evolution of such a defect due to thermal motion had the character of a transition between metastable states. A kinetic model was proposed for the description of this process, and rate constants were calculated as functions of temperature. The dependence of the activation energy upon the tube type and diameter was analyzed. The model was expected to permit the simulation of large time-scale processes, such as nanotube annealing.

Kinetic Model of the Interstitial Defect Dynamics in a Carbon Nanotube Wall Structure. M.Britch: Physical Review B, 2005, 72[8], 085428