Retracted: Nanomechanics: Physics between engineering and chemistry

Mechanics at nanometer scale involves physical factors often entirely different from the familiar concepts in macroscopic mechanical engineering (elastic moduli, contact forces, friction etc.). These new features are often of chemical nature: intermolecular forces, thermal fluctuations, chemical bonds. The general aspects and issues of nanomechanics are illustrated by an overview of the properties of nanotubes: linear elastic parameters, nonlinear elastic instabilities and buckling, inelastic relaxation, yield strength and fracture mechanisms, and their kinetic theory. Atomistic scenarios of coalescence-welding and the role of non- covalent forces (supra-molecular interactions) between the nanotubes are also discussed due to their significance in potential applications. A discussion of theoretical and computational work is supplemented by brief summaries of experimental results, for the entire range of the deformation amplitudes.