Pumping of water through carbon nanotubes by rotating electric field and rotating magnetic field

XP Li and GP Kong and X Zhang and GW He, APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 103, 143117 (2013).

DOI: 10.1063/1.4824441

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate pumping of water through a carbon nanotube by applying the combination of a rotating electric field and a rotating magnetic field. The driving force is a Lorentz force generated from the motion of charges in the magnetic field, and the motion is caused by the rotation of the electric field. We find that there exits a linear relationship between the average pumping velocity v and magnetic field strength B, which can be used to control the flux of the continuous unidirectional water flow. This approach is expected to be used in liquid circulation without a pressure gradient. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

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