title: Nanoparticle traffic on helical tracks: thermophoretic mass transport through carbon nanotubes.
abstract: Using molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate and quantify thermophoretic motion of solid gold nanoparticles inside carbon nanotubes subject to wall temperature gradients ranging from 0.4 to 25 K/nm. For temperature gradients below 1 K/nm, we find that the particles move "on tracks" in a predictable fashion as they follow unique helical orbits depending on the geometry of the carbon nanotubes. These findings markedly advance our knowledge of mass transport mechanisms relevant to nanoscale applications.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Thermodynamics in Emerging Technologies, ETH Zurich, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland. philipp.schoen@ethz.ch
authors.forename: Philipp A E
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Schoen
authors.forename: Jens H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Walther
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arcidiacono
authors.forename: Dimos
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Poulikakos
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koumoutsakos
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004058:Diffusion; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009038:Motion; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010316:Particle Size; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon