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Electrophoresis, the motion of charged species through liquids and pores under an external electric field, has been principle source of chemical pumping for numerous micro- and nano-fluidic devices platforms. Recent studies of ion current through single or few carbon nanotube channels range from near bulk mobility to 2-7 orders of magnitude of enhancement but cannot directly measure ion flux. Membranes, with large number of nanotube pores, allow independent confirmation of ion current and flux. Here we report that the aqueous electrophoretic mobility of ions within the graphitic cores of carbon nanotube membranes, with a uniform pore size of 0.9 ± 0.2 nm, is enhanced ∼3 times that of bulk mobilities. The induced electroosmotic velocities are 4 orders of magnitude faster than those measured in conventional porous materials. We also show that a nanotube membrane can function as a rectifying diode due to ionic steric effects within tightly controlled nanotube diameter.

Carbon nanotube membranes with inner diameter ranging from 1.5-7 nm were examined for enhanced electroosmotic flow. After functionalization via electrochemical diazonium grafting and carbodiimide coupling reaction, it was found that neutral caffeine molecules can be efficiently pumped via electroosmosis. An electroosmotic velocity as high as 0.16 cm s(-1) V(-1) has been observed. Power efficiencies were 25-110 fold improved compared to related nanoporous materials, which has important applications in chemical separations and compact medical devices. Nearly ideal electroosmotic flow was seen in the case where the mobile cation diameter nearly matched the inner diameter of the single-walled carbon nanotube resulting in a condition of using one ion is to pump one neutral molecule at equivalent concentrations.

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