Molecular dynamics study of thermal resistance of solid-liquid interface in contact with single layer of nanoparticles

In a nanoscale system, thermal resistance at a solid-liquid interface can be considerable. Nanoparticle deposition on the solid-liquid interface is able to influence the solid-liquid interfacial thermal resistance (ITR). The influence of the nanoparticle layer on the thermal resistance can be critical, for an example, in a heat transfer of nanoparticle suspension fluids. In the present study, by means of non-equilibrium classical molecular dynamics (MD) method, we numerically investigated changes in the solid-liquid ITR, liquid density near the interface, heat flux components through single layer of carbon nanoparticles. Under the present conditions, the carbon nanoparticle layers on the solid-liquid interface influenced the liquid density and the heat transport near the solid-liquid interface, and the ITR. The ITR decreased, as the liquid density in the nanoparticle layer increased. The change in the liquid density near the solid-liquid interface was one of significant factors that affected the ITR. When the nanoparticle layer significantly decreased the ITR, the energy transport from the wall to the nanoparticles was enhanced, and the energy transfer inside the nanoparticles increased. Therefore, the nanoparticles were able to extract and store the thermal energy from the solid wall, which decreased the ITR. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.