The theoretical maximum tensile strain — that is, elongation — of a single-walled carbon nanotube is almost 20%^{1, 2}, but in practice only 6%^{3, 4} is achieved. Here we show that, at high temperatures, individual single-walled carbon nanotubes can undergo superplastic deformation, becoming nearly 280% longer and 15 times narrower before breaking. This superplastic deformation is the result of the nucleation and motion of kinks in the structure, and could prove useful in helping to strengthen and toughen ceramics and other nanocomposites at high temperatures.

1. Department of Physics, Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts 02467, USA
2. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Nanoscale Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
4. Departments of Physics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA

Correspondence to: J. Y. Huang¹ Email: huangje@bc.edu

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