Size-dependence and elasticity of liquid-crystalline multiwalled carbon nanotubes

Profound size-effects of liquid-crystalline microstructures of multiwalled carbon nanotube dispersions are reported. The figure shows that nanotubes behave like rigid rods in the case of a low aspect ratio; however, they behave as flexible beams that deform easily following the local orientation in a liquid crystalline field if they are thin and/or long with a relatively high aspect ratio.