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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Fabrication, Densification, and Replica Molding of 3D Carbon Nanotube Microstructures
Published on: July 2, 2012
Electrowetting in carbon nanotubes
J Y Chen1, A Kutana, C P Collier
1Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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.

