LAUSR

Abstract Recent advances in nanotube synthesis and functionalization have allowed for new insights into several physical-chemical aspects of nanofluidics. Processes thought possible only in theory are now attainable experimentally. This raises new questions about the distinctions between fluid behavior in bulk or under extreme confinement. Particularly, the interaction between water molecules and the nanotube wall is expected to play a major role in fluid structure and dynamics. In fact, the very definition of surface hydrophobicity is a sensitive subject, which demands further investigation. Here we present an overview of how changes in interaction and confining distances between water molecules and the nanotube wall can induce freezing, wet/dry transitions and even produce high flow rates. We suggest that the changes in water dynamics due to wall’s nature (if hydrophobic or hydrophilic or mixed) indicates that polarity is the key factor for the high mobility of confined water.