Effect of defect and C60s density variation on tensile and compressive properties of peapod

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the effect of defects on a single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) filled with C60 (peapod). A series of Molecular Dynamics simulation are carried out to investigate the compressive and tensile properties of the CNTs and peapods. The paper presents the effect of the two common crystallography defects (Stone–Wales defect and vacancy defect) on mechanical properties of the peapod. The tension and compression of the defective peapod is determined and is compared with an empty SWCNT. It is shown that encapsulating the C60s into the nanotubes under compression enhances the compressive strength of the structure. However, it does not have a favorable influence on the tensile strength of nanotubes. It is seen that defects weaken compressive and tensile strength of peapods. The effects of different defects on compressive properties of peapods do not much differ from each other. On the other hand, the type of defect is a dominant factor for nanotubes under tension.