Nanoscale hydrodynamics: Enhanced flow in carbon nanotubes

Nature

Nature 438, 44 (3 November 2005) | doi:10.1038/43844a

"Nanoscale hydrodynamics: Enhanced flow in carbon nanotubes
Mainak Majumder1, Nitin Chopra1, Rodney Andrews2 and Bruce J. Hin

"Nanoscale structures that could mimic the selective transport and extraordinarily fast flow possible in biological cellular channels would have a wide range of potential applications. Here we show that liquid flow through a membrane composed of an array of aligned carbon nanotubes is four to five orders of magnitude faster than would be predicted from conventional fluid-flow theory. This high fluid velocity results from an almost frictionless interface at the carbon-nanotube wall.

"1. Chemical and Materials Engineering Department, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, USA
2. Center for Applied Energy Research, Lexington, Kentucky 40511, USA"