Electrowetting in carbon nanotubes.
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.
Chen
J Y
JY
Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
Kutana
A
A
Collier
C P
CP
Giapis
K P
KP