ABSTRACT
Since the discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by Sumio Iijima we witness an explosive development of the nanotube science and technology. The properties of carbon nanotubes can be grouped into three categories: structural, mechanical and electronic. While the prediction of electronic properties of carbon nanotubes required relatively subtle theoretical analysis, their unique mechanical behavior could be intuitively anticipated based on several features. The mechanical properties class is encompassing the elastic, thermal, vibrational or any other properties related to the motion of the tube’s atoms. Continuously expanding, the field of CNT-based sensors includes an already impressive list of demonstrators, encompassing (bio)chemical, strain, stress, pressure, mass, flow, thermal, and optical sensors. The understanding of the mechanical response of nanotubes to external forces is of relevance for the application of nanotubes as a composite material reinforcement as well as in electronic devices, where the deformation of the tubes induced by the substrate alter locally the electronic properties of the nanotube.
