Sliding and translational diffusion of molecular phases confined into nanotubes

TL;DR

This paper reviews the unique diffusion behaviors of molecular fluids confined in nanotubes, highlighting how nanoscale confinement alters fluid dynamics beyond bulk properties, with implications for nanofluidics.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of the fundamental phenomena affecting molecular fluid dynamics under nanoscale confinement, emphasizing the limitations of bulk hydrodynamics.

Findings

Confinement significantly alters molecular diffusion behaviors.

Standard bulk hydrodynamics often fails at the nanoscale.

Understanding these effects is crucial for nanofluidic applications.

Abstract

The remaining dynamical degrees of freedom of molecular fluids confined into capillaries of nano to sub-nanometer diameter are of fundamental relevance for future developments in the field of nanofluidics. These properties cannot be simply deduced from the bulk one since the derivation of macroscopic hydrodynamics most usually breaks down in nanoporous channels and additional effects have to be considered. In the present contribution, we review some general phenomena, which are expected to occur when manipulating fluids under confinement and ultraconfinement conditions.