Mechanical properties, thermal stability and heat transport in carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Ever since the discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the early 1990s, it was anticipated that these nanostructures would have truly remarkable mechanical and heat-transport properties, given the strength of the carbon-carbon bond within graphene layers in graphite. Nowadays, there is growing evidence, coming from both experimental and theoretical studies, that CNTs do indeed have an outstandingly high Young's modulus, high thermal stability and thermal conductivity. In this contribution, we provide an overview of the current state of knowledge on these properties in CNTs and related nanostructures.