Brian B. Laird

A Combined Experimental−Computational Investigation of Carbon Dioxide Capture in a Series of Isoreticular Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks

A series of five zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) have been synthesized using zinc(II) acetate and five different 4,5-functionalized imidazole units, namely ZIF-25, -71, -93, -96, and -97. These 3-D porous frameworks have the same underlying topology (RHO) with Brunauer-Emmet-Teller surface areas ranging from 564 to 1110 m(2)/g. The only variation in structure arises from the functional groups that are directed into the pores of these materials, which include -CH(3), -OH, -Cl, -CN, -CHO, and -NH(2); therefore these 3-D frameworks are ideal for the study of the effect of functionality on CO(2) uptake. Experimental results show CO(2) uptake at approximately 800 Torr and 298 K ranging from 0.65 mmol g(-1) in ZIF-71 to 2.18 mmol g(-1) in ZIF-96. Molecular modeling calculations reproduce the pronounced dependence of the equilibrium adsorption on functionalization and suggest that polarizability and symmetry of the functionalization on the imidazolate are key factors leading to high CO(2) uptake.

Direct calculation of the hard-sphere crystal/melt interfacial free energy

We present a direct calculation by molecular-dynamics computer simulation of the crystal/melt interfacial free energy gamma for a system of hard spheres of diameter sigma. The calculation is performed by thermodynamic integration along a reversible path defined by cleaving, using specially constructed movable hard-sphere walls, separate bulk crystal, and fluid systems, which are then merged to form an interface. We find the interfacial free energy to be slightly anisotropic with gamma = 0.62+/-0.01, 0.64+/-0.01, and 0. 58+/-0.01k(B)T/sigma(2) for the (100), (110), and (111) fcc crystal/fluid interfaces, respectively. These values are consistent with earlier density functional calculations and recent experiments.

Direct calculation of the crystal–melt interfacial free energies for continuous potentials: Application to the Lennard-Jones system

Extending to continuous potentials a cleaving wall molecular dynamics simulation method recently developed for the hard-sphere system [Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 4751 (2000)], we calculate the crystal–melt interfacial free energies, γ, for a Lennard-Jones system as functions of both crystal orientation and temperature. At the triple point, T*=0.617, the results are consistent with an earlier cleaving potential calculation by Broughton and Gilmer [J. Chem. Phys. 84, 5759 (1986)], however, the greater precision of the current calculation allows us to accurately determine the anisotropy of γ. From our data we find that, at all temperatures studied, γ111<γ110<γ100. A comparison is made to the results from our previous hard-sphere calculation and to recent results for Ni by Asta, Hoyt, and Karma [Phys. Rev. B 66 100101(R) (2002)].

Simulation of the hard-sphere crystal-melt interface

In this work, we examine in detail the structure and dynamics of the face-centered cubic (100) and (111) crystal–melt interfaces for systems consisting of approximately 104 hard spheres using molecular dynamics simulation. A detailed analysis of the data is performed to calculate density, pressure, and stress profiles (on both fine and coarse scales), as well as profiles for the diffusion and orientational ordering. The strong dependence of the coarse-grained profiles on the averaging procedure is discussed. Calculations of 2-D density contours in the planes perpendicular to the interface show that the transition from crystal to fluid occurs over a relatively narrow region (over only 2–3 crystal planes) and that these interfacial planes consist of coexisting crystal- and fluidlike domains that are quite mobile on the time scale of the simulation. We also observe the creation and propagation of vacancies into the bulk crystal.

Quantum-mechanical derivation of the Bloch equations: Beyond the weak­ coupling limit

Two nondegenerate quantum levels coupled off‐diagonally and linearly to a bath of quantum‐mechanical harmonic oscillators are considered. In the weak‐coupling limit one finds that the equations of motion for the reduced density‐matrix elements separate naturally into two uncoupled pairs of linear equations for the diagonal and off‐diagonal elements, which are known as the Bloch equations. The equations for the populations form the simplest two‐component master equation, and the rate constant for the relaxation of nonequilibrium population distributions is 1/T1, defined as the sum of the ‘‘up’’ and ‘‘down’’ rate constants in the master equation. Detailed balance is satisfied for this master equation in that the ratio of these rate constants is equal to the ratio of the equilibrium populations. The relaxation rate constant for the off‐diagonal density‐matrix elements is known as 1/T2. One finds that this satisfies the well‐known relation 1/T2=1/2T1. In this paper the weak‐coupling limit is transcended by de...

Symplectic algorithm for constant-pressure molecular dynamics using a Nosé–Poincaré thermostat

We present a new algorithm for isothermal–isobaric molecular-dynamics simulation. The method uses an extended Hamiltonian with an Andersen piston combined with the Nose–Poincare thermostat, recently developed by Bond, Leimkuhler, and Laird [J. Comp. Phys. 151, 114 (1999)]. This Nose–Poincare–Andersen (NPA) formulation has advantages over the Nose-Hoover-Andersen approach in that the NPA is Hamiltonian and can take advantage of symplectic integration schemes, which lead to enhanced stability for long-time simulations. The equations of motion are integrated using a generalized leapfrog algorithm (GLA) and the method is easy to implement, symplectic, explicit, and time reversible. To demonstrate the superior stability of the method we show results for test simulations using a model for aluminum and compare it to a recently developed time-reversible algorithm for Nose–Hoover–Anderson. In addition, an extension of the NPA to multiple time steps is outlined and a symplectic and time-reversible integration algorithm, based on the GLA, is given.

The anisotropic hard-sphere crystal-melt interfacial free energy from fluctuations

We have calculated the interfacial free energy for the hard-sphere system, as a function of crystal interface orientation, using a method that examines the fluctuations in the height of the interface during molecular dynamics simulations. The approach is particularly sensitive for the anisotropy of the interfacial free energy. We find an average interfacial free energy of gamma=0.56+/-0.02k(B)Tsigma(-2). This value is lower than earlier results based upon direct calculations of the free energy [R. L. Davidchack and B. B. Laird, Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 4751 (2000)]. However, both the average value and the anisotropy agree with the recent values obtained by extrapolation from direct calculations for a series of the inverse-power potentials [R. L. Davidchack and B. B. Laird, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 086102 (2005)].

The role of localization in glasses and supercooled liquids

Localized excitations (tunneling modes, soft harmonic vibrations) are believed to play a dominant role in the thermodynamics and transport properties of glasses at low temperature. Using instantaneous normal‐mode (INM) analysis, we explore the role that such localization plays in determining the behavior of such systems in the vicinity of the glass transition. Building on our previous study [Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 936 (1995)] we present evidence that the glass transition in two simple model systems is associated with a transition temperature below which all un‐ stable INM’s become localized. This localization transition is a possible mechanism for the change in diffusion mechanism from continuous flow to localized hopping that is believed to occur in fragile glass formers at a temperature just above Tg.

The solid–liquid interfacial free energy of close-packed metals: Hard-spheres and the Turnbull coefficient

Largely due to its role in nucleation and crystal-growth, the free energy of the crystal-melt interfacial free energy is an object of considerable interest across a number of scientific disciplines, especially in the materials-, colloid-, and atmospheric sciences. Over 50 years ago, Turnbull observed that the interfacial free energies (scaled by the mean interfacial area per particle) of a variety of metallic elements exhibit a linear correlation with the enthalpy of fusion. This correlation provides an important empirical “rule-of-thumb” for estimating interfacial free energies, but lacks a compelling physical explanation. In this work we show that the interfacial free energies for close-packed metals are linearly correlated with the melting temperature and are therefore primarily entropic in origin. We also show that the slope of this linear relationship can be determined with quantitative accuracy using a hard-sphere model, and that the correlation with the enthalpy of fusion reported by Turnbull follows as a consequence of the fact that the entropy of fusion for close-packed metals is relatively constant.

Adjusting the melting point of a model system via Gibbs-Duhem integration: Application to a model of aluminum

This is the publishers version, also available electronically from http://journals.aps.org/prb/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevB.62.14720.