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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Transport of Surface-modified Carbon Nanotubes through a Soil Column
Published on: April 2, 2015
Maximum velocity for a single water molecule entering a carbon nanotube
Tamsyn A Hilder1, James M Hill
1Nanomechanics Group, School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
Abstract:
Carbon nanotubes, despite their hydrophobic nature, rapidly fill with water and allow super fast fluid flow through their interior due to the almost frictionless nanotube surface. The question arises as to whether it is possible to maximize the uptake (suction energy) of water and thus generate the highest possible fluid flow. In this paper, we outline the concepts of an acceptance condition and the suction energy and subsequently examine the suction characteristics of a single water molecule entering a carbon nanotube. In particular, we find that for the hydrogen atoms oriented towards the tube end, the radius of the carbon nanotube must be at least 3.464 A (or 0.3464 nm) for acceptance of a water molecule, and that a radius of 3.95 A provides the maximum uptake or suction energy.
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