title: Electrowetting in carbon nanotubes.
abstract: We demonstrate reversible wetting and filling of open single-wall carbon nanotubes with mercury by means of electrocapillary pressure originating from the application of a potential across an individual nanotube in contact with a mercury drop. Wetting improves the conductance in both metallic and semiconducting nanotube probes by decreasing contact resistance and forming a mercury nanowire inside the nanotube. Molecular dynamics simulations corroborate the electrocapillarity-driven filling process and provide estimates for the imbibition speed and electrocapillary pressure.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kutana
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Collier
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Giapis