  Locating and manipulating nano-sized objects to drive motion is a time and
effort consuming task. Recent advances show that it is possible to generate
motion without direct intervention, by embedding the source of motion in the
system configuration. In this work, we demonstrate an alternative manner to
controllably displace nano-objects without external manipulation, by employing
spiral-shaped carbon nanotube (CNT) and graphene nanoribbon structures (GNR).
The spiral shape contains smooth gradients of curvature, which lead to smooth
gradients of bending energy. We show these gradients can drive nanoscillators.
We also carry out an energy analysis by approximating the carbon nanotube to a
thin rod and discuss how torsional gradients can be used to drive motion. For
the nanoribbons, we also analyzed the role of layer orientation. Our results
show that motion is not sustainable for commensurate orientations, in which AB
stacking occurs. For incommensurate orientations, friction almost vanishes, and
in this instance, the motion can continue even if the driving forces are not
very high. This suggests that mild curvature gradients, which can already be
found in existing nanostructures, could provide mechanical stimuli to direct
motion.
