Position effects of the graphene-origami actuators on the rotation of a CNT nanomotor

Abstract

This study designs a carbon nanotube (CNT)-based rotary nanomotor actuated by four graphene origami (G-ori) drivers with adjustable positions. When the drivers’ tips have different contact states with the CNT rotor at a finite temperature, the rotor has different rotational states due to different interaction strength between the rotor and the tips. Using the molecular dynamics simulation approach, we study the effects of the drivers’ position, such as the gaps between the rotor and the drivers’ tips and their layout angles. Numerical results indicate that both the stable rotational frequency (SRF) and the rotational direction change with the layout angles. In an interval from −40° to −25°, the SRF increases monotonously. There also exists an angle interval in which the G-ori drivers fail to actuate the rotor's rotation. The gap offset leads to different SRF of the same rotor. Hence, one can design a rotary nanomotor with controllable rotation, which is critical for its applications in a nanomachine.