Beyond the Maxwell limit: Thermal conduction in nanofluids with percolating fluid structures

In a well-dispersed nanofluid with strong cluster-fluid attraction, thermal conduction paths can arise through percolating amorphouslike interfacial structures. This results in a thermal conductivity enhancement beyond the Maxwell limit of 3phi, with phi being the nanoparticle volume fraction. Our findings from nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, which are amenable to experimental verification, can provide a theoretical basis for the development of future nanofluids.