Surface effects on the vibrational frequency of double-walled carbon nanotubes using the nonlocal Timoshenko beam model

Double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) are being investigated for use as latent materials for drug carriers. However, the surface effects cannot be ignored when drugs or other functional materials, such as nickel or silver, adhere to the surface of the outer tube of a DWCNT. In this paper, the vibrational frequency of DWCNTs, while accounting for surface effects, is studied using the nonlocal Timoshenko beam model. The influence of the surface elasticity modulus, residual surface stress, nonlocal parameter, axial half-wave number and aspect ratio are investigated in detail. The results show that the vibrational frequency is significantly affected by the surface material, nonlocal parameter, vibration mode and aspect ratio. In short DWCNTs on condition of higher vibrational modes, the influences of the surface and nonlocal effects on vibration are more pronounced.