Anomalous thermal conductivity in 2D silica nanocages of immobilizing noble gas atom

Abstract

Noble gas atoms such as Kr and Xe are byproducts of nuclear fission in nuclear plants. How to trap and confine these volatile even radioactive gases is particularly challenging. Recent studies have shown that they can be trapped in nanocages of ultrathin silica. Here, we exhibit with self-consistent phonon theory and four-phonon (4ph) scattering where the adsorption of noble gases results in an anomalous increase in lattice thermal conductivity (κL), while the presence of Cu atoms doping leads to a reduction in κL. We trace this behavior in host–guest 2D silica to an interplay of tensile strain, rattling phonon modes, and redistribution of electrons. We also find that 4ph scatterings play indispensable roles in κL of 2D silica. Our work illustrates the microscopic heat transfer mechanism in 2D silica nanocages with the immobilization of noble gas atoms and inspires further exploring materials with the kagome and glasslike κL.