Piezoelectric ZnO-CNT nanotubes under axial strain and electrical voltage

This paper aims to study the mechanical responses of a piezoelectric composite nanotube subject to an axial strain and electrical voltage. The nanotubes are fabricated by coating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystal. The axial buckling of the ZnO-CNTs nanotubes (ZCNTs) is investigated by using a composite Euler beam model accounting for the piezoelectricity of the coating layer. Particular attention is paid to the strengthening effect of the core CNT and the effect of the piezoelectricity of the outer ZnO layer. Pre-buckling analysis is also conducted to study the static deformation prior to the buckling. Analytical solutions are obtained based on the theory of three-dimensional elasticity and piezoelectricity. In particular, a tensile radial stress is achieved at the ZnO-CNT interface, which tends to separate the ZnO layer from core CNT and may generate delamination in composite ZCNTs. The size-dependence and physical basis of such an interface stress is thus discussed in details for ZCNTs.