A numerical study on the effective thermal conductivity of biological fluids containing single-walled carbon nanotubes

Thermal death of cancerous cells may be induced by radiating single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) selectively attached via functionalization to the targeted cells. A distribution of SWNTs inside cancerous cells, on their surface, or in the inter-cellular fluid may occur during this treatment process. This work applies a random walk algorithm to calculate the effective thermal conductivity of an idealized biological fluid containing SWNTs. The thermal resistance at the interface between the SWNTs and their surroundings is incorporated to make predictions that are required for developing an overall approach to cancerous cell targeting. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.