Alkali Halide Nanotubes: Structure and Stability

Accurate density functional theory (DFT) and coupled-cluster (CCSD) calculations on a series of (LiF)n=2,36 neutral clusters suggest that nanotube structures with hexagonal and octagonal transversal cross sections show stability equal to or greater than that of the typical cubic form of large LiF crystals. The nanotube stability was further corroborated by quantum dynamic calculations at room temperature. The fact that stable nanotube structures were also found for other alkali halides (e.g., NaCl and KBr) suggests that this geometry may be widely implemented in material sciences.