Uptake of gases in bundles of carbon nanotubes

Model calculations are presented that predict whether or not an arbitrary g as experiences significant absorption within carbon nanotubes and/or bundle s of nanotubes. The potentials used in these calculations assume a conventi onal form, based on a sum of two-body interactions with individual carbon a toms; the latter employ energy and distance parameters that are derived fro m empirical combining rules. The results confirm intuitive expectation that small atoms and molecules are absorbed within both the interstitial channe ls and the tubes, while large atoms and molecules are absorbed almost exclu sively within the tubes.