Stability of Carbon Nanotetrahedron/Nanoribbon Structures Under Electron Irradiation

When a carbon nanotube is flattened in different directions at various positions, nanotetrahedra are formed between nanoribbons at the switching points of the flattening direction. The carbon nanotetrahedron with an inner space could be used as a closed container with nanoscale dimensions; therefore, it is important to reveal its stability. In this study, we investigate stability of the carbon nanotetrahedron/nanoribbon structures under electron irradiation using transmission electron microscopy. We find that the carbon nanotetrahedron/nanoribbon structures do not open even after their crystallinity is remarkably lost at a dose of 10⁸–10⁹ electrons/nm².