Tunable water channels with carbon nanoscrolls.

Molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical analyses are performed to show that the flow rate of water through the core of carbon nanoscrolls (CNSs) can be adjusted over a broad range through the effective surface energy, which in turn can be tuned by an applied DC or AC electric field. The results suggest that the CNSs hold great promise for applications such as tunable water and ion channels, nanofluidic devices, and nanofilters, as well as tunable gene- and drug-delivery systems.