| Developing a membrane that can successfully filter molecules such as hydrocarbons, oxygen, and carbon dioxide from gaseous mixtures is an important issue for the environmental and economic industries. This potential selectivity can be predicted from atomistic simulations of the diffusion and adsorption of gases into and within carbon nanotubes. The computational nanofluidics of hydrocarbons, oxygen, and carbon dioxide have been studied with molecular dynamics simulations in the work reported here. The interactions in the system are modeled by a classical reactive empirical bond-order potential coupled to Lennard-Jones and Coulombic potentials. The transport of gas molecules for long time periods is characterized by initial non-equilibrium states followed by equilibrium states. The non-equilibrium state is induced by the diffusive motion of gas molecules from one end of the nanotubes into the vacuum or low-pressure region at the other end of the nanotubes, and lasts until the gases are evenly distributed in the nanotubes. During the non-equilibrium state, the gas molecules move back and forth through the nanotubes. It is found that this behavior, the time needed for the attainment of equilibrium, and the molecular motions at the openings of the nanotubes are affected by the density (or pressure) of gas molecules both inside and outside of the carbon nanotubes. When the gas molecules reach the end of the nanotubes, the attractive force between the tube end and the gas molecules prevents the molecules from exiting.; The mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes have extended the potential applications of nanoelectromechanical systems (HEMS) such as nano-switches, nanosensors, nano-actuators, and nano-tweezers. In this study, the bending motion from externally incident Ar atom impacts on nanotubes with one firmly-fixed end is examined with classical molecular dynamics simulations. The deformation of the carbon nanotubes in the direction perpendicular to their axis is analyzed according to the relation between the amount of impact on the nanotubes and the strain on the molecular bonds. The mechanical response and recovery of the nanotubes after release are compared for various nanotube configurations, including single- and multi-walled nanotubes. |
