Improvement of heat transfer efficiency at solid-gas interfaces by self-assembled monolayers

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that the efficiency of heat exchange between a solid and a gas can be maximized by functionalizing solid surface with organic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). We observe that for bare metal surfaces, the thermal accommodation coefficient (TAC) strongly depends on the solid-gas interaction strength. For metal surfaces modified with organic SAMs, the TAC is close to its theoretical maximum and is essentially independent from the SAM-gas interaction strength. The analysis of the simulation results indicates that softer and lighter SAMs, compared to the bare metal surfaces, are responsible for the greatly enhanced TAC. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4792530]