Laboratoire de Physique Théorique
Toulouse - UMR 5152

Electrolyte transport through single nanopore is an active field of research since it can be applied to technologies as nanofiltration, or osmotic energies. Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) are among the most promising types of nanopores due to their properties : very clean and hydrophobic surfaces, interesting electrical properties, and a large aspect ratio.

Indeed, recent experiments showed that the ionic conductivity through CNT was 3 or 4 order of magnitude higher than through other nanopores. This is currently explained by a large fluid slippage, and a high surface charge. But the physical properties of water and ions confined in CNT are not well understood, and I will present two phenomena that we expect to have a great impact on these properties : Dielectric and Born effects and the role of the electronic density of states in the charging of the CNT.