Thermoactivated transport of molecules H2 in narrow single-wall carbon nanotubes

By use both of the plane wave DFT and the empirical exp-6 Lennard-Jones potential methods we calculate the inner potential in narrow single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) (6, 0), (7, 0) and (3, 3) which affects the hydrogen molecules. The inner potential forms a goffered potential surface and can be approximated as V(z,r,φ)≈V₀sin (2πz/a)+V(r). We show that in these SWCNTs transport of molecules is given mainly by thermoactivated hoppings between minima of the periodic potential along the tube axis. The rate hoppings is substantially depends on temperature because of thermal fluctuations of tube wall.