Numerical Analysis of the Influence of a Magnetic Field on the Group Dynamics of Iron-Doped Carbon Nanotori

Abstract

Columnar phases consisting of a group of carbon toroidal molecules (C120, C192, C252, C288) are studied numerically. Each nanotorus was previously doped with an iron atom. This made it possible to use an external magnetic field as a tool for influencing both an individual molecule and a linear fragment of the columnar phase. A high-precision scheme for calculating the dynamics of large molecules with a rigid frame structure is proposed to solve the problem. The group dynamics of nanotori clusters under the influence of an external magnetic field has been studied using classical molecular dynamics methods. The influence of the molecular cluster size, temperature, magnetic moment of the molecule, and magnetic field direction on the collective behavior of iron-doped toroidal molecules with different contents of carbon atoms is analyzed. Molecular dynamics calculations showed that systems of nanotori doped with a single iron atom retain a columnar structure both in the absence and in the presence of an external magnetic field. The columnar fragment behaves as a stable linear association of molecules even at sufficiently high values of magnetic induction, performing a coordinated collective orbital rotation around a common center of mass on a nanosecond time scale.

Keywords

• nanotorus
• columnar phase
• molecular dynamics
• magnetic field