Understanding the microscopic processes that govern the charge-induced deformation of carbon nanotubes

While carbon nanotubes have technological potential as actuators, the underlying actuation mechanisms remain poorly understood. We calculate charge-induced stresses and strains for electrochemical actuation of carbon nanotubes with different chiralities and defects, using density-functional theory and various tight-binding models. For a given deformation mode the concept of bonding and antibonding orbitals can be redefined depending on the sign of a differential band-structure stress. We use this theoretical framework to analyze orbital contributions to the actuation. These show charge asymmetric behavior which is due to next-nearest-neighbor hopping while Coulombic contributions account fo…