Hector Dominguez

Understanding the structure of aqueous cesium chloride solutions by combining diffraction experiments, molecular dynamics simulations, and reverse Monte Carlo modeling.

A detailed study of the microscopic structure of an electrolyte solution, cesium chloride (CsCl) in water, is presented. For revealing the influence of salt concentration on the structure, CsCl solutions at concentrations of 1.5, 7.5, and 15 mol % are investigated. For each concentration, we combine total scattering structure factors from neutron and X-ray diffraction and 10 partial radial distribution functions from molecular dynamics simulations in one single structural model, generated by reverse Monte Carlo modeling. This combination of computer modeling methods is capable of (a) showing the extent to which simulation results are consistent with experimental diffraction data and (b) tracking down distribution functions in computer simulation that are the least comfortable with diffraction data. For the present solutions, we show that the level of consistency between simulations that use simple pair potentials and experimental structure factors is nearly quantitative. Remaining inconsistencies seem to be caused by water-water distribution functions. Changing the pair potentials of water-water interactions from SPC/E to TIP4P-2005 has not had any effect in this respect. As a final result, we obtained particle configurations from reverse Monte Carlo modeling that were in quantitative agreement with both diffraction data and most of the molecular dynamics (MD) simulated partial radial distribution functions (prdfs). From the particle coordinates, the distribution of the number of first neighbors, as well as angular correlation functions, were calculated. The average number of water molecules around cations decreases from about 8 to about 6.5 as concentration increases from 1.5 to 15 mol %, whereas the same quantity for the anions changes from about 7 to about 5. It was also found that the average angle of Cl...H-O particle arrangements, characteristic of anion-water hydrogen bonds, is closer to 180 degrees than that found for O...H-O arrangements (water-water hydrogen bonds). The present combination of experimental and computer simulation methods appears to be promising for the study of other electrolyte solutions.

Structural Transition of the Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) Surfactant Induced by Changes in Surfactant Concentrations

Molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate aggregation of surfactants at the solid-liquid interface at different surfactant concentrations. For these studies simulations of the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant with a graphite surface were carried out. At low concentrations the SDS molecules aggregated in slices of cylinders attached to the solid surface, whereas at slightly higher concentrations the structures showed irregular shapes. When the concentration was again increased to a higher value, the molecules aggregated in a more complex structure, an irregular aggregate on the top of a semicylinder adsorbed on the graphite surface. From the present results more insights about the internal structure of the aggregates were observed than in actual experiments, e.g., it was found that the SDS tails arrayed in well-defined layers close to the graphite surface. More over, from the internal structure it was possible to show a structural transition driven by an increment in the surfactant concentration which, to the best of our knowledge, has not been studied from a molecular point of view. Therefore the transition was studied in terms of the height of the structures. Along with these studies adsorption of the aggregates, by calculating contact angles, and adsorption isotherms were also analyzed. Finally, investigations of the surface coverage with the concentration showed that this quantity did not change considerably with the concentration.

Structure of the Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Surfactant on a Solid Surface in Different NaCl Solutions

Studies of molecular dynamics simulations of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) molecules adsorbed on a graphite surface in different salt (NaCl)/water solutions were conducted. The results showed the formation of hemicylindrical aggregates, at different salt concentrations, in agreement with atomic force microscopy (AFM) results. However, the hemicylinders exhibited different structures as the salt concentration was increased. At low concentrations, the internal structure of the hemicylinder formed well-defined SDS layers, parallel to the surface. However, when the amount of salt was increased, the top layer became less pronounced until it disappeared at the highest concentration. Density profiles of the SDS headgroups were also analyzed, and those profiles were found to become sharper as the NaCl concentration increased. The phenomenon was investigated in terms of how the aggregates wet the solid surface.

Computational studies on the behavior of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) at TiO2(rutile)/water interfaces

Molecular dynamics simulations to study the behavior of an anionic surfactant close to TiO(2) surfaces were carried out where each surface was modeled using three different crystallographic orientations of TiO(2) (rutile), (001), (100) and (110). Even though all three surfaces were made with the same atoms the orientation was a key to determine adsorption since surfactant molecules aggregated in different ways. For instance, simulations on the surface (100) showed that the surfactant molecules formed a hemicylinder structure whereas the molecules on the surface (110) were attached to the solid by forming a hemisphere-like structure. Structure of the aggregated molecules and surfactant adsorption on the surfaces were studied in terms of tails and headgroups density profiles as well as surface coverage. From density profiles and angular distributions of the hydrocarbon chains it was possible to determine the influence of the solid surface. For instance, on surfaces (100) and (001) the surfactant molecules formed molecular layers parallel to the surface. Finally, it was found that in the solids (100) and (110) where there are oxygen atoms exposed on the surface the surfactant molecules were attached to the surfaces along the sites between the lines of these oxygen atoms.

Stress anisotropy in liquid crystalline phases

Monte Carlo simulations of bulk liquid crystals in the isotropic, nematic and smectic phases were performed. The simulations were carried out using different box shapes. The diagonal components of the pressure tensor were calculated to verify that the system is in mechanical equilibrium. For simulations in cubic boxes it was found that the three components of the pressure tensor had the same values in the isotropic and nematic phases but they were different in the smectic phase, i.e. the system seemed to be under anisotropic stress. NVT and NPT simulations in the smectic phase were performed by allowing the box sides to fluctuate independently; in this case, the average diagonal components of the pressure tensor had the same value. Inaccurate calculation of the total pressure produces incorrect equilibrium boundaries in the phase diagram. Microphases and poorly defined layering can be found in simulations of smectic phases when they are performed on cubic boxes. Although the pressure anisotropy is relaxed out, the layering structure in smectic phases seems to depend on the initial configuration, regardless of the simulation method.

Microscopic structure and thermodynamics of a core-softened model fluid: Insights from grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations and integral equations theory

We have studied the microscopic structure and thermodynamic properties of isotropic three-dimensional core-softened model fluid by using extensive grand canonical Monte Carlo computer simulations and Ornstein-Zernike integral equations with hypernetted chain and Rogers-Young closures. Applied simulation tools permit to obtain insights into the properties of the model in addition to available molecular dynamics data of other authors. We discuss equation of state in the density-chemical potential projection and explore the temperature dependence of the chemical potential along different isochores. The limits of the region of anomalous behavior of the structural and thermodynamic properties are established by investigating derivatives resulting from the equation of state, pair contribution to excess entropy, and translational order parameter. Besides, we evaluate the dependence of the heat capacity on temperature and density. The microscopic structure is discussed in terms of the pair distribution functions and corresponding structure factors. We have established that the hypernetted chain approximation is not successful to capture the region of anomalies in contrast to Rogers-Young approximation, but is very accurate for high fluid densities. Thus we have studied the onset for crystallization transition within this theoretical framework. Moreover, using the replicated Ornstein-Zernike integral equations with hypernetted chain closure, we explore the possibility of glass transition and described it in terms of transition density and chemical potential.

Systematic procedure to parametrize force fields for molecular fluids.

A new strategy to develop force fields for molecular fluids is presented. The intermolecular parameters are fitted to reproduce experimental values of target properties at ambient conditions and also the critical temperature. The partial charges are chosen to match the dielectric constant. The Lennard-Jones parameters, εii and σii, are fitted to reproduce the surface tension at the vapor-liquid interface and the liquid density, respectively. The choice of those properties allows obtaining systematically the final parameters using a small number of simulations. It is shown that the use of surface tension as a target property is better than the choice of heat of vaporization. The method is applied to molecules, from all atoms to a coarse-grained level, such as pyridine, dichloromethane, methanol, and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIM-BF4) at different temperatures and pressures. The heat of vaporization, radial distribution functions, and self-diffusion coeficient are also calculated.

Studies of porosity and diffusion coefficient in porous matrices by computer simulations

We present a series of molecular dynamics simulations to study the porosity on different matrix configurations. The matrices were prepared using two different processes. In the fist method we used direct simulations of a fluid at a fixed density and the matrix was taken from the last configuration of its particles. In the second method we simulated a binary mixture where one of the components served as a template material and the final porous matrix configuration was obtained by removing template particles from the mixture. Matrices were prepared at different densities and at different matrix particle interactions. The results showed that the matrix structure and the matrix porosity were affected by the way the porous matrices were prepared. Finally, we also investigated the diffusion of a fluid inside the matrices. The diffusion coefficient was measured by mean square displacements of the particles in the fluid. It was observed that this quantity was also affected by the kind of porous matrix employed. The calculations were performed for several fluids at different densities in the different porous matrices. From these studies we observed that the highest porosity and diffusion coefficient were found in matrices prepared with attractive particle interactions and without any template.

Structural and thermodynamic behavior of alkane chains at the liquid/vapor interface.

Computer simulations for several alkane fluids were carried out to study thermodynamics and structural behavior of the molecules at the liquid-vapor interface. Three different models were used to simulate the fluids, one of them was proposed in this work and we obtained a slightly better agreement than the other models with experimental data. The fluid structure at the interface was analyzed at temperatures close to the melting point using the new model and it was found that molecules at the free surface present more order than those at the bulk liquid phase. By calculating the order of the hydrocarbon chains a strong structure of molecules was observed at the interface than those in bulk, moreover, some of those molecules at the interface were aligned perpendicular to the interface. Previous simulations report stronger structures at the interface by the formation of a monolayer of alkane chains, however, those simulations started at very low temperatures and they did not reproduce thermodynamic properties such as the interfacial tension correctly. The model proposed in the present work not only presents good agreement with surface tension data but also shows evidence that the fluid structured as experiments indicated at temperatures close to the melting temperature.

Pore matrices prepared at supercritical temperature by computer simulations: matrix characterization and studies of diffusion coefficients of adsorbed fluids

We present series of molecular dynamics simulations to study the structure of different porous matrix configurations. The present simulations are an extension of recently reported data at a temperature below the critical. Here, we show how temperature modifies the structure and porosity of pore matrices during their preparation in comparison with the previous work. Moreover, in these studies at a higher temperature, we studied in more detail the structure of the porous matrix. Matrices were prepared by two different processes. The first method consisted of a single Lennard-Jones fluid simulated at a fixed density and at a supercritical temperature. Then, the matrix configuration was taken from the last configuration of the fluid. The second method was prepared from a binary mixture, where one of the components served as a template material. The final porous matrix configuration was obtained by removing template particles from the mixture. Matrices were prepared at two different densities and at different matrix particle interactions. The volume distribution, the cluster formation and the connectivity between the particles in the pore matrix were investigated. The importance of using template particles was clear since they produced larger voids and higher porosities. On the other hand, the temperature of preparation seems to modify the size of the voids and the porosity in the matrices. For instance, at this high temperature, the matrix porosity is higher when template particles are present in the system. These results point in the opposite direction compared to those found in a previous paper at a lower temperature. The diffusion of fluids immersed in the different matrices was also analysed by calculating the mean square displacements of their particles. It was observed that this quantity was higher when matrices were prepared with template particles. These results also point to different directions in contrast with pore matrices prepared at a lower temperature. Finally, the results show that temperature plays an important role in the pore matrix formation.