Enhanced Thermal Conductivity of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube with Axial Tensile Strain Enabled by Boron Nitride Nanotube Anchoring.

Thermal conductivity measurements are conducted by optothermal Raman technique before and after the introduction of an axial tensile strain in a suspended single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) through end-anchoring by boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). Surprisingly, the axial tensile strain (<0.4 %) in SWCNT results in a considerable enhancement of its thermal conductivity, and the larger the strain, the higher the enhancement. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity reduction with temperature is much alleviated for the strained nanotube compared to previously reported unstrained cases. The thermal conductivity of SWCNT increases with its length is also observed.