Staggered Alignment of Quadrupolar Molecules Inside Carbon Nanotubes

Grand canonical Monte Carlo molecular simulations of the adsorption of three quadrupolar moleculesnitrogen (N(2)), carbon dioxide (CO(2)), and perfluoroethane (C(2)F(6))within single walled carbon nanotubes are reported. A unique slanted ordering is seen in the nanotubular systems (1-D geometry) which has not been reported before nor is present in slit nanopores (2-D geometry), and is due to the particular combination of steric effects and the unique anisotropic attraction experienced by these fluids.