Mechanics of carbon nanoscrolls: a review

Carbon nanoscrolls (CNSs) belong to the same class of carbon-based nanomaterials as carbon nanotubes but are much less studied in spite of their great potential for applications in nanotechnology and bioengineering. Fundamental description, understanding and regulation of such materials will ultimately lead to a new generation of integrated systems that utilize their unique properties. In this review, we describe some of the recent advances in theoretical investigation on structural and dynamical behavior of CNS, as well as relevant simulation techniques. Theoretically it has been found that a stable equilibrium core size of CNS can be uniquely determined or tuned from the basal graphene length, the interlayer spacing, the interaction energy between layers of CNS and the bending stiffness of graphene. Perturbations of the surface energy, which can be controlled by an electric field, will cause a CNS to undergo breathing oscillatory motion as well as translational rolling motion on a substrate. The tunable core size of CNS also enables it to serve potentially as transmembrane water channels in biological systems.