Nanomechanical sensors based on elastically supported double-walled carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes are anticipated to have potential applications in nanosensor technology; however, their usage under various boundary conditions has not been thoroughly revealed. In this article, we are seeking for appropriate numerical models to bridge such a scientific gap for double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) as nanomechanical sensors. Some nonlocal beam models are developed for exploring the vibration performance of embedded DWCNTs in an elastic matrix due to the arbitrarily added nanoparticles. The nonlocal continuum theory of Eringen is employed, and the governing equations of each model are constructed by considering the lateral and rotary inertial effects of the attached nanoparticles. Since examining the problem for a wide range of boundary conditions is of particular interest, an effective meshlessmethod is exploited. For the proposed numerical models, a comparison study alongwith a convergence check is carried out and reasonably good agreements are achieved. The key factor in mechanical performance of DWCNTs for sensing the nanoparticles is the alteration of their natural flexural frequencies. A fairly conclusive study is then conducted to determine the influences of the crucial factors on the frequency shift of DWCNTs. The obtained results explain the potential applications of DWCNTs as mass nanosensors for a diverse range of boundary conditions. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.