In the research group of Prof. Xiaoyi Li, the functionalized double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) as artificial water channels are studied by molecular dynamics simulations. The simulation results show that the water flow rate through carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with radius of 1-2nm is about 3 orders of magnitude faster than the conventional nonslip hydrodynamic flow. The bilayer structure of DWCNTs is advantageous for carbon nanotube based transmembrane channels. The shielding of the amphiphilic outer layer could guarantee biocompatibility of the synthetic channel and protect the inner tube (functional part) from disturbance of the membrane environment. This novel design could promote more sophisticated nanobiodevices which could function in a bioenvironment with high biocompatibility. The results above have been published in Nano Letter, ACS Nano, the Journal of Physical Chemistry C et al.
