Mechanical cutting of bamboo-shaped multiwalled carbon nanotubes by an atomic force microscope tip

Mechanical cutting of the bamboo-shaped multiwalled carbon nanotubes (BS-MWNTs) was achieved by using an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip. Nip- and pen cap-like shapes were observed in the BS-MWNT cut sections. By close inspection of the cut sections, we were able to identify the mechanism of the mechanical cutting in BS-MWNTs.