Why Nanosystems and Macroscopic Systems Behave Differently

Abstract

Advancement in nanotechnology is dependent on the understanding of the behavior of matter in nanoscale. In this report we have demonstrated, through a unique molecular simulation procedure, that properties of matter in nanosystems do not follow the same rules as in macroscopic systems. More specifically, it is shown that extensive properties such as internal energy and entropy are not extensive, and intensive properties such as temperature and pressure are not intensive in nanosystems, in contrast to macroscopic systems. Variations of the Euler exponents for these properties as a function of the number of particles of the system are reported. As the size of the system increases, the value of these exponents approach integers that correspond to the macroscopic systems.