Issue 8, 2011

Highly efficient electroosmotic flow through functionalized carbon nanotube membranes

Abstract

Carbon nanotube membranes with inner diameter ranging from 1.5–7 nm were examined for enhanced electroosmotic flow. After functionalization via electrochemical diazonium grafting and carbodiimide coupling reaction, it was found that neutral caffeine molecules can be efficiently pumped via electroosmosis. An electroosmotic velocity as high as 0.16 cm s−1 V−1 has been observed. Power efficiencies were 25–110 fold improved compared to related nanoporous materials, which has important applications in chemical separations and compact medical devices. Nearly ideal electroosmotic flow was seen in the case where the mobile cation diameter nearly matched the inner diameter of the single-walled carbon nanotube resulting in a condition of using one ion is to pump one neutral molecule at equivalent concentrations.

Graphical abstract: Highly efficient electroosmotic flow through functionalized carbon nanotube membranes

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
22 Mar 2011
Accepted
16 May 2011
First published
05 Jul 2011

Nanoscale, 2011,3, 3321-3328

Highly efficient electroosmotic flow through functionalized carbon nanotube membranes

J. Wu, K. Gerstandt, M. Majumder, X. Zhan and B. J. Hinds, Nanoscale, 2011, 3, 3321 DOI: 10.1039/C1NR10303B

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