The growth of narrow single-wall carbon nanotubes, via the adduction of small carbon clusters, was studied using molecular-dynamics simulation. The statistical behavior of the growth and defect formation process was analyzed. For a C2 dimer colliding with the side-wall of narrow single-wall nanotubes, it was very easy for the dimer to become incorporated into the network of the tube during annealing, forming localized topological defects. During long-term annealing at 2300K, thermal fluctuation could cause structural switching among various metastable states and thus result in energy pulses in the energy versus time curve.

Growth and Defect Formation of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes. Y.Xia, Y.Ma, Y.Xing, Y.Mu, C.Tan, L.Mei: Physical Review B, 2000, 61[16], 11088-92