3D printing of models of carbon nanotubes and related nanomaterials

The structure of materials determines their properties. Visualizing molecular or nanoscale structures is crucial to understanding this relationship. Carbon nanomaterials are a particularly good example. Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have different structures (chiralities), which translate into distinct optical colors and fluorescence properties. Nevertheless, it is difficult to comprehend why materials made only from carbon atoms have these different properties. Haptic materials can play a significant role in engaging newcomers, for public outreach as well as visualizing and explaining basic concepts of chemistry and physics for more advanced scientists. This article provides a beginner-friendly workflow to create 3D models of SWCNTs, graphene (nanoribbons/nanosheets) or modifications from scratch.
All used programs for chemical modeling are free to use, and no prior experience is required to follow the instructions. Exemplarily, a model of a single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) is created in Avogadro. This file is then imported into Blender to customize the layout. In a next step the generated files are processed (sliced) to translate it into the language of a 3D printer. This article provides a tutorial for 3D print SWCNTs and related materials, introduces the computational tools that are necessary, and discusses teaching examples.