Effect of Interfacial Thermal Transport on Water Flow in Graphene Nanochannels

Fluid flow in nanochannels is governed by interfacial phenomena thus thermal transport at solid-liquid interfaces can be a key parameter to design efficient nanodevices. Ultra-low friction to water flow and its exceptional mechanical and thermal properties make graphene a promising material to be used in nanofluidic systems. In a variety of applications, graphene has to be supported on a substrate. Here, we study the role of the underlying substrate on interfacial heat transport in graphene nanochannels. We conduct atomistic simulations of Poiseuille-like flow of water in a nanochannel with walls consisting of monolayer graphene supported on slabs of silica, polyamide and hexagonal boron nitride, respectively. The Joule heating dissipation through the walls is evaluated for different imposed flow rates. Temperature profiles, interfacial energy landscape and transport properties as interfacial viscosity, friction coefficient and water ordering are computed to gain insight into the effect of interfacial heat transport on nanoconfined flow. Density of states (DOS) across the graphene are measured to analyze the influence of the underlying substrates on the phonon thermal transport through the walls.