Interactions between a Stone-Wales defect pair in axially loaded single-walled carbon nanotubes were systematically studied using molecular mechanics. The defect-defect interaction was quantified by the bond with the highest energy, E, which varied in magnitude with respect to the inter-defect distance, D. Defect pairs, corresponding to combinations of two types of Stone-Wales defect (Stone-Wales defect in A and B modes) with a differing relative orientation angle, φ, embedded in single-walled carbon nanotubes of various sizes and chirality were studied. It was shown that, in general, E varied according to the defect pair, and converged to a constant value at large D. It was found that the magnitude of E was regulated by the type of defect pair, and that the profile of E versus D was modulated by φ. In addition, E was also influenced by the tube size and chirality. The greatest indifference length, beyond which two neighboring defects did not feel the existence of each other, was found to be about 30Å.

On Defect Interactions in Axially Loaded Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes. A.M.A.Huq, K.I.Goh, Z.R.Zhou, K.Liao: Journal of Applied Physics, 2008, 103[5], 054306