N-decane diffusion in carbon nanotubes with vibration.

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have a wide range of applications in nanotechnology engineering. This research aims to quantify the effect of wall vibration on n-decane molecules' diffusion in double-walled CNTs (DWNTs) with different diameters and determine the diffusion mechanisms behind it. Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to generate mass density profiles of confined n-decane molecules. The root mean square fluctuation and mean squared displacement analyses show that the confinement suppresses n-decane molecules' fluctuations. A self-diffusion coefficient of n-decane molecules in a 13.6 Å-diameter DWNT is the largest. However, the vibration enhancement of the n-decane molecules' diffusion in a 27.1 Å-diameter DWNT is 207%, more extensive than that in 13.6 Å-diameter and 10.8 Å-diameter DWNTs. The n-decane-CNT attractive interactions, extreme confinement, and surface friction affect the n-decane molecules' diffusion in CNTs with vibration.