Exploring the Electronic and Mechanical Properties of TPDH-Nanotube: Insights from Ab initio and Classical Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Abstract

Tetra-Penta-Deca-Hexa-graphene (TPDH) is a new 2D carbon allotrope with attractive electronic and mechanical properties. It is composed of tetragonal, pentagonal, and hexagonal carbon rings. When TPDH-graphene is sliced into quasi-one-dimensional (1D) structures like nanoribbons, it exhibits a range of behaviors, from semi-metallic to semiconducting. An alternative approach to achieving these desirable electronic (electronic confinement and/or non-zero electronic band gap) properties is the creation of nanotubes (TPDH-NT). In the present work, we carried out a comprehensive study of TPDH-NTs combining Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Classical Reactive Molecular Dynamics (MD). Our results show structural stability and a chiral dependence on mechanical properties. Similarly to standard carbon nanotubes, TPDH-NT can be metallic or semiconductor. MD results show Young's modulus values exceeding $700$ GPa, except for nanotubes with very small radii. However, certain chiral TPDH-NTs (n,m) display values both below and above $700$ GPa, particularly for those with small radii. The analyses of the angle and C-C bond length distributions underscore the significance of the tetragonal and pentagonal rings in determining the mechanical response of TPDH-NTs (n,0) and (0,n), respectively.