Mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes Mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes The mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes reveal them as one of the strongest materials in nature. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are long hollow cylinders of graphene. Although graphene sheets have 2D symmetry, carbon nanotubes by geometry have different properties in axial and radial directions. It has been shown that CNTs are very strong in the axial direction. Young's modulus on the order of and tensile strength of were obtained. Carbon nanotubes are the strongest and stiffest materials yet discovered in terms of tensile strength and elastic modulus respectively. This strength results from the covalent sp bonds
Asymmetric carbon atoms are not attached to exactly the same things, there are two different "groups" of atoms that the carbon atom in question is attached to, therefore making it an asymmetric carbon atom: A tetrose with 2 asymmetric carbon atoms has 2 = 4 stereoisomers: An aldopentose with 3 asymmetric carbon atoms has 2 = 8 stereoisomers: An aldohexose with 4 asymmetric carbon atoms has 2 = 16 stereoisomers: The four groups of atoms attached to the carbon atom can be arranged in space in two different ways that are mirror images of each other, and which lead to so-called left-handed