Oleg S. Subbotin

Theoretical study of phase transitions in Kr and Ar clathrate hydrates from structure II to structure I under pressure.

The theory developed in our earlier papers is extended to predict dynamical and thermodynamic properties of clathrate structures by accounting for the possibility of multiple filling of cavities by guest molecules. The method is applied to the thermodynamic properties of argon and krypton hydrates, considering both structures I (sI) and II (sII), in which the small cages can be singly occupied and large cages of sII can be singly or doubly occupied. It was confirmed that the structure of the clathrate hydrate is determined by two main factors: intermolecular interaction between guest and host molecules and the configurational entropy. It is shown that for guests weakly interacting with water molecules, such as argon or krypton, the free energy of host lattices without the contribution of entropy is the main structure-determining factor for clathrate hydrates, and it is a cause of hydrate sII formation at low pressure with these guests. Explicit account of the entropy contribution in the Gibbs free energy allows one to determine the stability of hydrate phases and to estimate the line of structural transition from sII to sI in P-T plane. The structural transition between sII and sI in argon and krypton hydrates at high pressure is shown to be the consequence of increasing intermolecular interaction and the degree of occupancy of the large cavities.

Thermal expansion and lattice distortion of clathrate hydrates of cubic structures I and II

Abstract Thermal expansion of clathrate hydrates of argon, krypton, and propane with cubic structure II (CS-II), methane and xenon hydrates of cubic structure I (CS-I) and empty lattices of CS-I and CS-II at zero pressure have been investigated within the framework of lattice dynamics approach in quasiharmonic approximation. For all hydrates a good agreement with experiment for lattice parameters at some fixed temperatures have been obtained. In the case of the CS-II, it is found that inclusion of sufficiently small molecules such as argon and krypton into the water framework results in effective compression of empty hydrate lattice. In the case of large propane molecules included only in the large cavities the lattice is expanded relative to the empty lattice. The thermal expansion coefficients of hydrates with large enclathrated molecules are less than for hydrates formed by small guest molecules and the smallest value of thermal expansion coefficient is obtained for the empty lattice. By comparison of the data obtained for xenon and methane hydrates of CS-I and the empty lattice of CS-I it is found that the same behavior is observed also in the case of hydrates of CS-I. The effect of lattice stretching due to guest size on the reference chemical potential between the empty lattices of CS-I and ice Ih and empty lattice of CS-II and ice Ih is calculated too.

Theoretical modelling of the phase diagrams of clathrate hydrates for hydrogen storage applications

An original approach accounting for multiple cavity occupancy, host lattice relaxation and the description of the quantum nature of guest behaviour has been used for the estimation of the thermodynamic properties of pure hydrogen and binary C2H6 + H2 hydrates with the possibility of multiple filling of cavities by guest molecules. It has been found that the pure hydrogen cubic structure II (CS-II) hydrate is more thermodynamically stable than the cubic structure I (CS-I) hydrate in a wide range of p–T regions. However, at low pressure, the stabilisation of the CS-I hydrate can be realised for H2–C2H6–H2O systems even with small concentrations of ethane in the gas phase. However, in this case, the amount of stored hydrogen strongly depends on the ethane concentrations in the gas phase. At low concentration of ethane, the amount of hydrogen stored, 2.5 wt%, in CS-I hydrate can be achieved at T = 250 K. We believe that the present approach can be useful for understanding the thermodynamic properties of the binary hydrate and it can support the experimental exploration of novel hydrogen storage materials based on clathrate hydrates.

Solvation Mechanism of Task-Specific Ionic Liquids in Water: A Combined Investigation Using Classical Molecular Dynamics and Density Functional Theory

The solvation behavior of task-specific ionic liquids (TSILs) containing a common, L-histidine derived imidazolium cation [C20H28N3O3](+) and different anions, bromide-[Br](-) and bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide-[NTF2](-), in water is examined, computationally. These amino acid functionalized ionic liquids (ILs) are taken into account because of their ability to react with rare earth metal salts. It has been noted that the TSIL with [Br](-) is more soluble than its counterpart TSIL with [NTF2](-), experimentally. In this theoretical work, the combined classical molecular dynamics (CMD) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations are performed to study the behavior of the bulk phase of these two TSILs in the vicinity of water (H2O) molecules with different concentrations. Initially, all the constructed systems are equilibrated using the CMD method. The final structures of the equilibrated systems are extracted for DFT calculations. Under CMD operation, the radial distribution function (RDF) plots and viscosity of TSILs are analyzed to understand the effect of water on TSILs. In the DFT regime, binding energy per H2O, charge transfer, charge density mapping, and electronic density of states (EDOS) analyses are done. The CMD results along with the DFT results are consolidated to support the hydrophilic and hydrophobic nature of the TSILs. Interestingly, we have found a strong correlation between the viscosity and the EDOS results that leads to an understanding of the hydration properties of the TSILs.

Microscopic model of clathrate compounds

The major generalization of the existing theory of clathrate hydrates, so that it can account for phenomena such as multiple occupancy of individual cages and mutual guest-host couplings and guest-guest interaction, are suggested. The new model allows taking into account the influence of guest molecules on the host lattice. Atomistic modeling of structural, dynamical and thermodynamic properties of ices and different hydrates at high pressures and a range of temperature were performed. The influence of guest molecules (argon, methane and xenon) on the host lattice of hydrate of cubic structures I and II was investigated. Results of these calculations agree with known experimental data.

Crystal-like low frequency phonons in the low-density amorphous and high-density amorphous ices

The structure and vibrational properties of high- and low-density amorphous (HDA and LDA, respectively) ices have been determined using reverse Monte Carlo, molecular dynamics, and lattice dynamics simulations. This combined approach leads to a more accurate and detailed structural description of HDA and LDA ices when compared to experiment than was previously possible. The water molecules in these ices form well connected hydrogen-bond networks that exhibit modes of vibration that extend throughout the solid and can involve up to 70% of all molecules. However, the networks display significant differences in their dynamical behavior. In HDA, the extended low-frequency vibrational modes occur in dense parallel two dimensional layers of water that are approximately 10 nm thick. In contrast, the extended modes in LDA resemble a holey structure that encapsulates many small pockets of nonparticipating water molecules.

Local pressure and density distribution in methane hydrate - ice Ih system

Effect of self-preservation of gas hydrates was explored over many years but there is no complete understanding how can hydrates exist in their thermodynamic instability region. We are suggesting the microscopic-level model of methane hydrate clusters immersed in ice matrix. Due to differences in thermal expansion of methane hydrate and Ice Ih the additional pressure appears in the hydrate phase and this moves it into its stability field. MD simulations were performed to find local pressure and density profiles. Results are well confirming our assumption.

Relationship between the Dynamic Properties of 1h Ice and Xenon Hydrate and the Interplay of Intramolecular and Intermolecular Vibrations

A new approach was used to simulate vibration spectra of 1h ice and xenon hydrate in the range 0–4000 cm-1, which encompasses both intramolecular and intermolecular vibrations. This approach, based on the lattice dynamics method, enables full spectra to be obtained for molecular crystals with allowance for the coupling of intramolecular and lattice vibrations. It is shown that consideration of this coupling leads to splitting of the peaks of intramolecular vibrations and to a significant change in the spectrum in the range of translation and libration molecular vibrations, which agrees qualitatively with experimental results.

Theoretical study of hydrogen storage in binary hydrogen-methane clathrate hydrates

The properties of binary H2 + CH4 clathrate hydrates have been estimated using the extended van der Waals and Platteeuw statistical thermodynamic model that takes into account the lattice relaxation, host-guest, and guest-guest interactions as well as the quantum nature of guest behavior in the clathrate cavities. It has been found that at a small methane concentration in the gas phase the stable hydrate phase has cubic structure II (CS-II) and at a methane concentration of 6% stabilizes cubic structure I, which is metastable in the case of the pure hydrogen hydrate. This is in agreement with recent experimental data. The amount of hydrogen storage depends on the methane concentration in the gas phase as well as the thermodynamic conditions of hydrate formation. Hydrogen storage up to 2.6 wt. % can be achieved in the binary H2 + CH4 CS-II hydrate at T = 250 K.

Theoretical investigation of structures and compositions of double neon-methane clathrate hydrates, depending on gas phase composition and pressure

The region of existence of neon clathrate hydrates is an actual problem of hydrate chemistry. The current work presents theoretical study of the equilibrium formation conditions of pure neon clathrate hydrates and double clathrate hydrates of neon-methane mixture. The structures and properties of double clathrate hydrates were described within the scope of the previously developed molecular clathrate hydrate model that takes into account the influence of guest molecules on the host lattice, interaction of guest molecules between themselves, and the possibility of multiple filling of host lattice cages by guest molecules. The model makes it possible to find an equilibrium state and thermodynamic properties of clathrate hydrates at given values of p and T. In the present work, we considered the properties of double clathrate hydrates in the range of pressures from 0 to 4 kbar at 250 K. The results of modeling have shown that the mass fraction of neon in double clathrate hydrate of Ne and CH4 mixture of cubic structure I (sI) can reach 26%, and 22.5% in double hydrate of cubic structure II (sII) even at a low methane concentration (1%) in gas phase, at high pressure. It is shown that in double clathrate hydrates of the Ne and CH4 mixture at high pressures, phase transition sII-sI can occur.