The invariabilities in the free vibrations of carbon nanotube networks with identical boundary conditions

¹  AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Aerospace, Tsinghua University - 100084, Beijing, PRC
²  Division of Mechanics, Nanjing University of Technology - 210009, Nanjing, PRC

Corresponding author: yinyj@tsinghua.edu.cn

Received: 7 September 2009
Accepted: 9 October 2009

Abstract

Two kinds of planar, well-ordered carbon nanotube (CNT) networks, Super-Graphene and Super-Square CNT networks, are theoretically built by straight single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and corresponding CNT junctions. The free vibrations of these CNT networks are explored by the molecular structural mechanics method. The natural frequencies of these CNT networks with four edges fully clamped are found only dependent on the side lengths but independent of the geometries and topologies of the networks. As the similarity between the continuum plate and these CNT networks, the vibration theory of the plate could be successfully applied to explain the geometry- and topology-independent behaviors of these networks. Such independent behaviors still exist when the biaxial pre-strain is introduced into the CNT networks.