Controllable Capillary Flow and Direct Oil Recovery in Carbon Nanotube Sponges

Abstract eng:
Nanoscale fluid transport with high controllability and efficiency is highly desired in developing high performance nanofluidic materials and systems. In this work, fast and elaborately controllable fluid flow in carbon nanotube (CNT) sponges has been achieved. Based on the electrocapillary effect, the affinity between the electrolyte and the CNT surfaces can be regulated by applying low electric potentials, which produces or diminishes the capillary pumping pressure inside the sponge, leading to controllable fluid flow. Prefilled oil in the sponge is directly extractable with high recovery by electrically switching CNT surfaces from oleophilic to hydrophilic assisted by surfactant. Moreover, it is possible to build deformable imbibition media with desired pore sizes since the bulk sponges can be compressed to different degrees while maintaining the imbibition function.

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