Nanofluidic transport inside carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the effects of nanotube size, mean flow velocity, ion concentration and temperature of an electrolyte water solution on shearing stress and nominal viscosity. It is shown that the distributed electric field arising from the electrolyte water solution has significant influences on fluid properties. Also, the temperature of the solution, which causes thermal movement, affects nanofluidic transport in nanoenvironments. The nominal viscosity and shearing stress increases as the tube diameter increases. When the temperature of solution increases or ion concentration decreases, the shearing stress and nominal viscosity increase. Simultaneous effects of ion concentration and temperature depict that the temperature effect is more dominant and these two parameters cannot be superposed. The molecular mechanisms that affect such behaviours are considered by studying radial density and radial velocity profiles in different cases.