We theoretically investigate the impact of the electrothermal flow on the
dielectrophoretic separation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT). The
electrothermal flow is observed to control the motions of semiconducting SWNTs
in a sizeable domain near the electrodes under typical experimental conditions,
therefore helping the dielectrophoretic force to attract semiconducting SWNTs
in a broader range. Moreover, with the increase of the surfactant
concentration, the electrothermal flow is enhanced, and with the change of
frequency, the pattern of the electrothermal flow changes. It is shown that
under some typical experimental conditions of dielectrophoresis separation of
SWNTs, the electrothermal flow is a dominating factor in determining the motion
of SWNTs.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, Submitted to PR