Ferroelectricity of Ice Nanotubes inside Carbon Nanotubes

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that ice nanotubes confined inside carbon nanotubes exhibit spontaneous ferroelectric polarization due to low-dimensional effects and hydrogen bond orientation, revealing a novel nanoscale ferroelectric phenomenon.

Contribution

First demonstration of ferroelectricity in ice nanotubes inside carbon nanotubes using molecular dynamics simulations.

Findings

Ice nanotubes with odd side faces show spontaneous polarization.

Ferroelectricity arises from low-dimensional confinement and hydrogen bond order.

Distinct from traditional bulk ferroelectric materials.

Abstract

We report that ice nanotubes with odd number of side faces inside carbon nanotubes exhibit spontaneous electric polarization along its axes direction by using molecular dynamics simulations. The mechanism of this nanoscale quasi-one-dimensional ferroelectricity is due to low dimensional confinement and the orientational order of hydrogen bonds. These ferroelectric fiber structural materials are different from traditional perovskite structural bulk materials.