Ring windings from single-wall carbon nanotubes: A distinct element method study

Combining mesoscale distinct element method simulations with analytical modeling, we predict the ability of individual single-wall carbon nanotubes to form stable ring windings with multiple turns, in spite of their remarkable stiffness. The stability of these structures arises from the energy balance between the bending strain energy stored in the covalent bonds and the long-ranged van der Waals attraction along the turns. The significant energy density achieved in the ring windings made out of ultralong carbon nanotubes makes these architectures interesting for energy storage applications.