Size-dependent elastic properties of a single-walled carbon nanotube via a molecular mechanics model

An analytical model based on a molecular mechanics approach is presented to relate the elastic properties of a single-walled carbon nanotube to its atomic structure. We derive closed-form expressions for elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio as a function of the nanotube diameter. Properties at different length scales are directly connected via these expressions. The analytically calculated elastic properties for achiral nanotubes using force...