THE FORMATION, ANNEALING AND SELF-COMPRESSION OF CARBON ONIONS UNDER ELECTRON-IRRADIATION

Electron irradiation-induced basal plane disordering in single- and mu lti-shell carbon nanotubes and onions is found to be inhibited at irra diation temperatures above 300 degrees C. Irradiation-induced defects anneal out due to the thermally activated migration of interstitials a t elevated temperatures and leave behind perfectly coherent shells of high tensile stability. Continuous loss of atoms as a result of sputte ring induces a surface tension which can be identified as the origin o f the formation and self-compression of spherical concentric-shell car bon onions.