David Rigby

Computer simulations of poly(ethylene oxide): force field, pvt diagram and cyclization behaviour

Parametrization of a force field capable of quantitatively describing the gas, liquid and crystal phases of alcohols, ethers and polyethers is described. Two applications are reported, the first employing atomistic simulations to study PVT (pressure, volume, temperature) and cohesive properties of oligomeric poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and related small-molecule liquids, and the second to study the extent of ring formation in polymerization of poly(ethylene glycols) (PEGs) and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). The atomistic simulations, focusing extensively on liquids and amorphous poly(ethylene oxides), demonstrate the ability to predict densities with an accuracy of 1%–2% over extended ranges of at least 200K in temperature and 180MPa in pressure. Densities of related small-molecule liquids, dimethyl and diethyl ether and ethanol at or close to saturation pressure are also well reproduced to temperatures close to the critical temperature. Densities calculated for methoxy-terminated oligomers are used to predict the density of melt and amorphous high-molar-mass PEO with an accuracy of better than 1%. Similarly, solubility parameters have been calculated as a function of chain length for poly(ethylene glycol) oligomers and used effectively to obtain estimates of the solubility parameter of high-molar-mass material. Additionally, crystal structures can also be well predicted. For the polymerization studies the Monte Carlo network simulation method was modified to mimic diffusion of reactants during the polymerization. Application to the PEG/HDI ‘linear’ polymerization system, using chain configurations generated with the atomistic force field, reveals a major improvement in the ability of the method to predict the extent of ring formation without adjustable parameters for polymerization conditions ranging from the bulk to highly dilute reaction conditions. ©1997 SCI

Development and validation of COMPASS force field parameters for molecules with aliphatic azide chains

To establish force‐field‐based (molecular) modeling capability that will accurately predict condensed‐phase thermophysical properties for materials containing aliphatic azide chains, potential parameters for atom types unique to such chains have been developed and added to the COMPASS force field. The development effort identified the need to define four new atom types: one for each of the three azide nitrogen atoms and one for the carbon atom bonded to the azide. Calculations performed with the expanded force field yield (gas‐phase) molecular structures and vibrational frequencies for hydrazoic acid, azidomethane, and the anti and gauche forms of azidoethane in good agreement with values determined experimentally and/or through computational quantum mechanics. Liquid densities calculated via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were also in good agreement with published values for 13 of 15 training set compounds, the exceptions being hydrazoic acid and azidomethane. Of the 13 compounds whose densities are well simulated, nine have experimentally determined heats of vaporization reported in the open literature, and in all of these cases, MD simulated values for this property are in reasonable agreement with the published values. Simulations with the force field also yielded reasonable density estimates for a series of 2‐azidoethanamines that have been synthesized and tested for use as hydrazine‐alternative fuels.

Sensitivity of the aggregation behaviour of asphaltenes to molecular weight and structure using molecular dynamics

Asphaltenes are heavy crude oil compounds, defined as soluble in toluene and precipitating in alkanes. To understand the relation between asphaltene structure and aggregation, we perform equilibrium molecular dynamics with Large-scale Atomic and Molecular Massively Parallel Software (LAMMPS), using the atomistic force field PCFF+ in the MedeA® environment. The following three molecular models are considered: the continental model (1350 g/mol) that has a large polyaromatic core and long alkyl chains, the island model (780 g/mol) that has a smaller polyaromatic unit and shorter chains and the archipelago model (1350 g/mol) that has three polyaromatic nuclei bridged with alkyl chains. The aggregation in a given solvent is monitored by visualising solvent-free configurations over 15 ns trajectories at 350 K. Nanoaggregates are characterised by stacked polyaromatic units separated by 0.33–0.4 nm. Irreversible aggregation is found with the continental model in both solvents. Aggregation of the island model is significant in n-heptane and low in toluene. The archipelago model does not aggregate significantly. Our results confirm that the island model is a reasonable average model of asphaltenes [Headen TF, Boek ES, Skipper NT. Energy Fuels 2009;23:1220–1229]. The open structure of nanoaggregates and the limited number of stacked molecules are also in agreement with previous interpretations of experimental data [Fenistein D. et al. Langmuir 1998;14:1013–1020].

Molecular modeling study of sulfonated SIBS triblock copolymers

An important class of thermoplastic elastomers involves polystyrene and polyisobutylene blocks (SIBS). Sulfonated SIBS Triblock Copolymers (S-SIBS) are of particular interest because of potential applications for fuel cell and textile applications, where breathable, protective clothing is required. We have used multiscale modeling to gain an understanding of the static and dynamic properties of these polymer systems at detailed atomistic levels. Quantum chemistry tools were used to elucidate the bonding of water molecules and sulfonate groups. In addition, molecular dynamics was applied to calculate the polymer density at various levels of sulfonation. The structures of polymer with hydronium ions and also water were studied and the mechanism of water self-diffusion was proposed. It was found that with increase of water content the hydronium ions move further away from sulfonate groups. The self-diffusion coefficients of water were found to reproduce well experimental trends. Two different distributions of sulfonate groups were studied: one blocky and another perfectly dispersed. In the case of the blocky architecture, the water clusters are connected at a lower sulfonation level, leading to increased water diffusion coefficients as compared to the dispersed architecture.

Computational Prediction of Mechanical Properties of Glassy Polymer Blends and Thermosets

Atomistic simulations of the elastic constants of glassy polystyrene-poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4- phenylene oxide) blends and 4,4’-diamino-diphenyl sulfone cured epoxy thermosets have been performed in order to examine the precision and accuracy currently achievable using molecular simulations. Bounds estimates obtained using moderately sized batches of independent amorphous structures have been shown to be comparable in magnitude to those obtained in most experiments. For the blend systems, the variation in tensile moduli with composition has been found to be very close to that observed experimentally, and rational explanations for the small ~16% discrepancy in absolute values have been given. In the case of the epoxy-based thermosets, good agreement with experimental moduli suggests that the approach used to create the crosslinked models leads to chemically and physically realistic models of these complex materials

Software Platforms for Electronic/Atomistic/Mesoscopic Modeling: Status and Perspectives

Predicting engineering properties of materials prior to their synthesis enables the integration of their design into the overall engineering process. In this context, the present article discusses the foundation and requirements of software platforms for predicting materials properties through modeling and simulation at the electronic, atomistic, and mesoscopic levels, addressing functionality, verification, validation, robustness, ease of use, interoperability, support, and related criteria. Based on these requirements, an assessment is made of the current state revealing two critical points in the large-scale industrial deployment of atomistic modeling, namely (i) the ability to describe multicomponent systems and to compute their structural and functional properties with sufficient accuracy and (ii) the expertise needed for translating complex engineering problems into viable modeling strategies and deriving results of direct value for the engineering process. Progress with these challenges is undeniable, as illustrated here by examples from structural and functional materials including metal alloys, polymers, battery materials, and fluids. Perspectives on the evolution of modeling software platforms show the need for fundamental research to improve the predictive power of models as well as coordination and support actions to accelerate industrial deployment.

Computer simulations to calculate accurate molecular properties: are the widely reported densities of coumarin and indole erroneous?

Molecular dynamics simulations on coumarin and indole indicate that their widely reported densities are incorrect and this was vindicated by subsequent measurements.