"Vibrating carbon nanotubes as water pumps" by Hu Qiu, Rong Shen et al.

Home > NANO-RESEARCH > Vol. 4 (2011) > No. 3

Article Title

Vibrating carbon nanotubes as water pumps

Authors

Hu Qiu, Institute of Nano Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
Rong Shen, Institute of Nano Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
Wanlin Guo, Institute of Nano Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China

Keywords

Nanopump, carbon nanotube, nanofluidics, centrifugal forces, water dynamics

Abstract

Nanopumps conducting fluids directionally through nanopores and nanochannels have attracted considerable interest for their potential applications in nanofiltration, water purification, and hydroelectric power generation. Here, we demonstrate by molecular dynamics simulations that an excited vibrating carbon nanotube (CNT) cantilever can act as an efficient and simple nanopump. Water molecules inside the vibrating cantilever are driven by centrifugal forces and can undergo a continuous flow from the fixed to free ends of the CNT. Further extensive simulations show that the pumping function holds good not only for a single-file water chain in a narrow (6,6) CNT, but also for bulk-like water columns inside wider CNTs, and that the water flux increases monotonically with increasing diameter of the nanotube.