Electrowetting in Carbon Nanotubes

by J. Y. Chen et al. Science, 2 Dec 2005 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. Read more