Single carbon nanotube syringe: A model for the study of liquid transport through individual carbon nanotubes

The hollow structure of the carbon nanotubes (CNT) and their ability to translocate through plasma membrane of a living cell provide a significant chance to use them as a nano syringe for the delivery of therapeutically active molecules into a live cell. However, the size and the extremely high aspect ratio of the CNTs make the nano syringe device difficult to realize. We successfully prepared a monolithic multiwall CNT with a graphitic shield by chemical vapor deposition technique. The graphitic shield provides a handle which allows the manipulation of the supported CNTs. A single CNT syringe device is fabricated with focused ion beam technique. The well-controlled liquid transport through individual CNT is demonstrated.