We performed Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations to study the mechanism of the specific heat enhancement in nitrate salt based nanofluids. 26.6% enhancement of specific heat capacity was observed by introducing nanoparticles into the salt system. Our simulations showed that the nanoparticles caused a layering effect in the adjacent region of the liquid molten salt. Hence we attribute the enhancement in the specific heat capacity of molten salts with the addition of nanoparticles to a previously undiscovered structural arrangement of salt atoms around the nanoparticles. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.