Christopher J. Mundy

Isobaric−Isothermal Molecular Dynamics Simulations Utilizing Density Functional Theory: An Assessment of the Structure and Density of Water at Near-Ambient Conditions

We present herein a comprehensive density functional theory study toward assessing the accuracy of two popular gradient-corrected exchange correlation functionals on the structure and density of liquid water at near ambient conditions in the isobaric-isothermal ensemble. Our results indicate that both PBE and BLYP functionals under predict the density and over structure the liquid. Adding the dispersion correction due to Grimme (1, 2) improves the predicted densities for both BLYP and PBE in a significant manner. Moreover, the addition of the dispersion correction for BLYP yields an oxygen-oxygen radial distribution function in excellent agreement with experiment. Thus, we conclude that one can obtain a very satisfactory model for water using BLYP and a correction for dispersion.

Understanding the Surface Potential of Water

We have resolved the inconsistency in quantifying the surface potential at the liquid-vapor interface when using explicit ab initio electronic charge density and effective atomic partial charge models of liquid water. This is related, in part, to the fact that the resulting electric potentials from partial-charge models and ab initio charge distributions are quite different except for those regions of space between the molecules. We show that the electrostatic surface potential from a quantum mechanical charge distribution compares well to high-energy electron diffraction and electron holography measurements, as opposed to the comparison with electrochemical measurements. We suggest that certain regions of space be excluded when comparing computed surface potentials with electrochemical measurements. This work describes a novel interpretation of ab initio computed surface potentials through high-energy electron holography measurements as useful benchmarks toward a better understanding of electrochemistry.

Spectroscopic Studies of the Phase Transition in Ammonia Borane: Raman spectroscopy of single crystal NH3BH3 as a function of temperature from 88 to 330 K

Raman spectra of single crystal ammonia borane, NH3BH3, were recorded as a function of temperature from 88 to 300 K using Raman microscopy and a variable temperature stage. The orthorhombic to orientationally disordered tetragonal phase transition at 225 K was clearly evident from the decrease in the number of vibrational modes. However, some of the modes in the orthorhombic phase appeared to merge 10-12 K below the phase transition perhaps suggesting the presence of an intermediate phase. Factor group analysis of vibrational spectra for both orthorhombic and tetragonal phase is provided. In addition, electronic structure calculations are used to assist in the interpretation and assignment of the normal modes.

Re-examining the properties of the aqueous vapor–liquid interface using dispersion corrected density functional theory

First-principles molecular dynamics simulations, in which the forces are computed from electronic structure calculations, have great potential to provide unique insight into structure, dynamics, electronic properties, and chemistry of interfacial systems that is not available from empirical force fields. The majority of current first-principles simulations are driven by forces derived from density functional theory with generalized gradient approximations to the exchange-correlation energy, which do not capture dispersion interactions. We have carried out first-principles molecular dynamics simulations of air-water interfaces employing a particular generalized gradient approximation to the exchange-correlation functional (BLYP), with and without empirical dispersion corrections. We assess the utility of the dispersion corrections by comparison of a variety of structural, dynamic, and thermodynamic properties of bulk and interfacial water with experimental data, as well as other first-principles and force field-based simulations.

Ab initio simulation of the equation of state and kinetics of shocked water

We report herein first principles simulations of water under shock loading and the chemical reactivity under these hot, compressed conditions. Using a recently developed simulation technique for shock compression, we observe that water achieves chemical equilibrium in less than 2 ps for all shock conditions studied. We make comparison to the experimental results for the Hugoniot pressure and density final states. Our simulations show that decomposition occurs through the reversible reaction H(2)O <--> H(+) + OH(-), in agreement with experiment. Near the approximate intersection of the Hugoniot and the Neptune isentrope, we observe high concentrations of charged species that contribute electronic states near the band gap.

Probing the Hydration Structure of Polarizable Halides: A Multiedge XAFS and Molecular Dynamics Study of the Iodide Anion

A comprehensive analysis of the H(2)O structure about aqueous iodide (I(-)) is reported from molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements. This study establishes the essential ingredients of an interaction potential that reproduces the experimentally determined first-solvation shell of aqueous iodide. XAFS spectra from the iodide K, L(1), and L(3) edges were corefined to establish the complete structure of the first hydration shell about aqueous iodide. Further, we have utilized molecular dynamics simulations employing both DFT (+dispersion) and empirical polarizable interaction potentials to generate an ensemble of structures that were directly compared to the XAFS data. Our results indicate that DFT-MD simulations provide a description of the molecular structure that is more consistent with the XAFS experimental data. The experimental data yield approximately 6.3 water molecules located at I-H and I-O distances of 2.65 and 3.50 Å, respectively. The differences in the two interaction potentials can be traced to the treatment of the electronic charge density in the vicinity of the iodide. The empirical polarizable interaction potential yields a significantly higher induced dipole for the aqueous iodide than the DFT study. The lower induced dipole moment from the DFT simulation produces a higher coordination number and leads to a more symmetric solvation environment than that produced by the empirical polarizable interaction potential. Furthermore, the hydrogen bonding of second-shell water with the first-shell water establishes a strong ordering of the water about the iodide surface.

Polarization- and Azimuth-Resolved Infrared Spectroscopy of Water on TiO2(110): Anisotropy and the Hydrogen-Bonding Network

We have investigated the structure and dynamics of thin water films adsorbed on TiO2(110) using infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) and ab initio molecular dynamics. Infrared spectra were obtained for s- and p-polarized light with the plane of incidence parallel to the [001] and [11̅0] azimuths for water coverages ≤ 4 monolayers. The spectra indicate strong anisotropy in the water films. The vibrational densities of states predicted by the ab initio simulations for 1 and 2 monolayer coverages agree well with the observations. The results provide new insight into the structure of water on TiO2(110) and resolve a long-standing puzzle regarding the hydrogen bonding between molecules in the first and second monolayers on this surface. The results also demonstrate the capabilities of polarization- and azimuth-resolved IRAS for investigating the structure and dynamics of adsorbates on dielectric substrates.

Ultrafast transformation of graphite to diamond: An ab initio study of graphite under shock compression

We report herein ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of graphite under shock compression in conjunction with the multiscale shock technique. Our simulations reveal that a novel short-lived layered diamond intermediate is formed within a few hundred of femtoseconds upon shock loading at a shock velocity of 12 kms (longitudinal stress>130 GPa), followed by formation of cubic diamond. The layered diamond state differs from the experimentally observed hexagonal diamond intermediate found at lower pressures and previous hydrostatic calculations in that a rapid buckling of the graphitic planes produces a mixture of hexagonal and cubic diamond (layered diamond). Direct calculation of the x-ray absorption spectra in our simulations reveals that the electronic structure of the final state closely resembles that of compressed cubic diamond.

Toward a Unified Picture of the Water Self-Ions at the Air–Water Interface: A Density Functional Theory Perspective

The propensities of the water self-ions, H3O(+) and OH(-), for the air-water interface have implications for interfacial acid-base chemistry. Despite numerous experimental and computational studies, no consensus has been reached on the question of whether or not H3O(+) and/or OH(-) prefer to be at the water surface or in the bulk. Here we report a molecular dynamics simulation study of the bulk vs interfacial behavior of H3O(+) and OH(-) that employs forces derived from density functional theory with a generalized gradient approximation exchange-correlation functional (specifically, BLYP) and empirical dispersion corrections. We computed the potential of mean force (PMF) for H3O(+) as a function of the position of the ion in the vicinity of an air-water interface. The PMF suggests that H3O(+) has equal propensity for the interface and the bulk. We compare the PMF for H3O(+) to our previously computed PMF for OH(-) adsorption, which contains a shallow minimum at the interface, and we explore how differences in solvation of each ion at the interface vs in the bulk are connected with interfacial propensity. We find that the solvation shell of H3O(+) is only slightly dependent on its position in the water slab, while OH(-) partially desolvates as it approaches the interface, and we examine how this difference in solvation behavior is manifested in the electronic structure and chemistry of the two ions.

Electrochemical Surface Potential Due to Classical Point Charge Models Drives Anion Adsorption to the Air-Water Interface.

We demonstrate that the driving forces for ion adsorption to the air-water interface for point charge models result from both cavitation and a term that is of the form of a negative electrochemical surface potential. We carefully characterize the role of the free energy due to the electrochemical surface potential computed from simple empirical models and its role in ionic adsorption within the context of dielectric continuum theory. Our research suggests that the electrochemical surface potential due to point charge models provides anions with a significant driving force for adsoprtion to the air-water interface. This is contrary to the results of ab initio simulations that indicate that the average electrostatic surface potential should favor the desorption of anions at the air-water interface. The results have profound implications for the studies of ionic distributions in the vicinity of hydrophobic surfaces and proteins.