X-ray and neutron scattering studies of the hydration structure of alkali ions in concentrated aqueous solutions

On the Elusive Links between Solution Microstructure, Dynamics, and Solvation Thermodynamics: Demystifying the Path through a Bridge over Troubled Conjectures and Misinterpretations

We build a fundamentally based bridge between the solute-induced microstructural perturbation of the species environment and the dynamic as well as thermodynamic responses of the fluid system, regardless of the state conditions, composition, nature of the solvent, and either the magnitude or the type of solute-solvent intermolecular-interaction asymmetries. For that purpose, we advance a fluctuation-based solvation formalism of fluid mixtures to provide meaningful descriptors of solvation phenomena, the microstructural signatures of their solute-solvent intermolecular interaction asymmetry, and the thermodynamic manifestations linked to the solution nonideality. The rigorous foundations afford us to address some crucial issues frequently invoked in the literature including the microstructural perturbation domain, its proper identification and molecular-based meaning toward the interpretation of the solvation process, and the potential impact of the local differential behavior between anions and cations on the actual salt-induced perturbation of the solvent microstructure. Indeed, we link the precisely characterized species solvation behavior to fundamental thermodynamic residual-property relations, and the dynamics associated with either the viscous flow or diffusive behavior of the solvent, to finally illustrate their outcome with experimental data of aqueous electrolyte solutions from the available literature. Ultimately, this effort provides a highly desirable unambiguous identification of the cause-effect connections between the microstructurally perturbed domains and the experimentally measured macroscopic solvation properties, including their effect on the dynamics of the solvent environment. More importantly, it lends a well-established solvation framework to bridge rigorously the microstructural details of the mixture, its dynamics, and its solvation thermodynamics to enhance our understanding of well-defined ranked Hofmeister series, i.e., by avoiding ad hoc conjectures and unsupported microscopic interpretations of solvation phenomena.

Structure and dynamics of the Li+ ion in water, methanol and acetonitrile solvents: ab initio molecular dynamics simulations

Fundamental understanding of the structure and dynamics of the Li+ ion in solution is of utmost importance in different fields of science and technology, especially in the field of ion batteries. In view of this, ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations of the LiCl salt in water, methanol and acetonitrile were performed to elucidate structural parameters such as radial distribution function and coordination number, and dynamical properties like diffusion coefficient, limiting ion conductivity and hydrogen bond correlation function. In the present AIMD simulation, one LiCl in water is equivalent to 0.8 M, which is close to the concentration of the lithium salt used in the Li-ion battery. The first sphere of coordination number of the Li+ ion was reaffirmed to be 4. The radial distribution function for different pairs of atoms is seen to be in good agreement with the experimental results. The calculated potential of mean force indicates the stronger interaction of the Li+ ion with methanol over water followed by acetonitrile. The dynamical parameters convey quite high diffusion and limiting ionic conductivity of the Li+ ion in acetonitrile compared to that in water and methanol which has been attributed to the transport of the Li-Cl ion pair in a non-dissociated form in acetonitrile. The AIMD results were found to be in accordance with the experimental findings, i.e. the limiting ion conductivity was found to follow the order acetonitrile > methanol > water. This study shows the importance of atomistic level simulations in evaluating the structural and dynamical parameters and in implementing the results for predicting and synthesizing better next generation solvents for lithium ion batteries (LIBs).

Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Investigation of the Solvation States of Hydrated Ions in Confined Water

Ionic transport in nanoscale channels with a critical size comparable to that of ions and solutes exhibits exceptional performance in water desalination, ion separation, electrocatalysts, and supercapacitors. However, the solvation states (SSs), i.e., the hydration structures and probability distribution, of hydrated ions in nanochannels differ from those in the bulk and the perspective of continuum theory. In this work, we conduct ab initio enhanced-sampling atomistic simulations to investigate the ion-specific SSs of monovalent ions (including Li+, Na+, K+, F-, Cl-, and I-) in the graphene channel with a width of 1 nm. Our findings highlight that the SSs of those ions are primarily determined by ion-water hydration, where ion-wall interactions play a minor role. The distribution of ions in layered confined water is a result of ion-specific hydration, which arises from the synergy of entropy and enthalpy. The free energy barriers for transitions between SSs are on the order of 1kBT, allowing for modulation through applying external fields or modifying surface properties. As the ion-wall interaction strengthens, as observed in vermiculite and carbides and nitrides of transition metal channels, the probability of near-wall SSs increases. These results help to improve the performance of nanofluidic devices and provide crucial insights for developing accurate force fields of molecular simulations or advanced theoretical approaches for ion dynamics in confined channels.

Hydration of Alkali Metal and Halide Ions from Static and Dynamic Viewpoints

Ion hydration in aqueous solutions plays a paramount role in many fields. Despite many studies on ion hydration, the nature of ion hydration is not consistently understood at the molecular level. Combining neutron scattering (NS), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), and molecular dynamics (MD), we quantify the ionic hydration degree (hydration ability) systematically for a series of alkali metal and halide ions based on static and dynamic hydration numbers. The former is based on the orientational correlation of water molecules bound to an ion derived from the positional information from NS and WAXS. The latter is defined as the mean number of water molecules remaining in the first coordination shell of an ion over a residence time of bound water molecules around the ion from MD. The static and dynamic hydration numbers distinguish hydration from coordination and quantify the ionic hydration degree, which provides a valuable reference for understanding various phenomena in nature.

Common Cations Are Not Polarizable: Effects of Dispersion Correction on Hydration Structures from Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics

We employed density functional theory-based ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to examine the hydration structure of several common alkali and alkali earth metal cations. We found that the commonly used atom pairwise dispersion correction scheme D3, which assigns dispersion coefficients based on the neutral form of the atom rather than its actual oxidation state, leads to inaccuracies in the hydration structures of these cations. We evaluated this effect for lithium, sodium, potassium, and calcium and found that the inaccuracies are particularly pronounced for sodium and potassium compared to the experiment. To remedy this issue, we propose disabling the D3 correction specifically for all cation-including pairs, which leads to a much better agreement with experimental data.

Quantifying the Structure of Water and Hydrated Monovalent Ions by Density Functional Theory-Based Molecular Dynamics

The accurate description of the structures of water and hydrated ions is important in electrochemical desalination, ion separation, and supercapacitors. In this work, we present an ab initio atomistic simulation-based study to explore the structure of water and hydrated monovalent ions (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, F^-, and Cl^-) at ambient conditions using generalized gradient approximation (GGA)-based methods with and without van der Waals correction (PBE, PBE + D3, and revPBE + D3) and recently developed strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) meta-GGA. We find that both revPBE + D3 and SCAN can well capture the structure of bulk water with +30 K artificial high temperature in contrast to overstructuring water using PBE and PBE + D3. However, being the same as PBE + D3, revPBE + D3 overestimates the structure of the hydration shell, especially for monovalent cations. Surprisingly, SCAN can well match the experimental results of hydrated monovalent ions. Detailed structure analyzes of entropy reveal that the hydration shell under the level of PBE + D3 and revPBE + D3 is more disordered and looser than SCAN. The successful prediction of the flexible SCAN functional could facilitate the exploration of complex ionic processes in the aqueous phase, the interactions of hydrated ions with surfaces, and solvation states in nanopores at an accurate, efficient, predictive, and ab initio level.

Comparative Removal of Cr(VI) and F− Ions from Water by Freezing Technology

Trace element ions, such as Cr(VI) and F−, are of particular interest due to their environmental impact. Both ions exhibit an anionic nature in water that can show similar removal tendencies except for their significant differences in ionic radius, speciation forms, and kosmotropic-chaotropic behaviors. Accordingly, partial freezing was performed to examine the comparative freeze separation efficiencies of Cr(VI) and F– from aqueous solutions. Freeze desalination influencing parameters such as initial ion concentration, salt addition, and freeze duration were explored. Under optimal operating conditions, freeze separation efficiencies of 90 ± 0.12 to 95 ± 0.54% and 58 ± 0.23% to 60 ± 0.34% from 5 mg/L of Cr(VI) and F–, respectively, were demonstrated. The salt addition into the F–-containing solutions revealed more F– ion intercalation into the ice, initiating the decrement of freeze separation efficiency. The influences of structuring-destructuring (kosmotropicity-chaotropicity) and the size-exclusion nature of ice crystals were used to explain the plausible mechanism for the difference in freeze separation efficiency between Cr(VI) and F– ions.

Role of Counterions in the Adsorption and Micellization Behavior of 1:1 Ionic Surfactants at Fluid Interfaces─Demonstrated by the Standard Amphiphile System of Alkali Perfluoro-n-octanoates

In our latest communication, we proved experimentally that the ionic surfactant's surface excess is exclusively determined by the size of the hydrated counterion.[Lunkenheimer , Langmuir, 2017, 33, 10216-1022410.1021/acs.langmuir.7b00786]. However, at this stage of research, we were unable to decide whether this does only hold for the two or three lightest ions of lithium, sodium, and potassium, respectively. Alternatively, we could also consider the surface excess of the heavier hydrated alkali ions of potassium, rubidium, and cesium, having practically identical ion size, as being determined by the cross-sectional area of the related anionic extended chain residue. The latter assumption has represented state of art. Searching for reliable experimental results on the effect of the heavier counterions on the boundary layer, we have extended investigations to the amphiphiles' solutions of concentrations above the critical concentration of micelle formation (cmc).We provided evidence that the super-micellar solutions' equilibrium surface tension will remain constant provided the required conditions are followed. The related σ_cmc-value represents a parameter characteristic of the ionic surfactant's adsorption and micellization behavior. Evaluating the amphiphile's surface excess obtained from adsorption as a function of the related amphiphile's σ_cmc-value enables you to calculate the radius of the hydrated counterion valid in sub- and super-micellar solution likewise. The σ_cmc-value is directly proportional to the counterion's diameter concerned. Taking additionally into account the radii of naked ions known from crystal research, we succeeded in exactly discriminating the hydrated alkali ions' size from each other. There is a distinct sequence of hydration radii in absolute scale following the inequality, Li⁺ > Na⁺ > K⁺ > (NH₄)⁺ > Rb⁺ > Cs⁺. Therefore, we have to extend our model of counterion effectiveness put forward in our previous communication. It represents a general principle of the counterion effect.

Structural Analysis of Molecular Materials Using the Pair Distribution Function

This is a review of atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis as applied to the study of molecular materials. The PDF method is a powerful approach to study short- and intermediate-range order in materials on the nanoscale. It may be obtained from total scattering measurements using X-rays, neutrons, or electrons, and it provides structural details when defects, disorder, or structural ambiguities obscure their elucidation directly in reciprocal space. While its uses in the study of inorganic crystals, glasses, and nanomaterials have been recently highlighted, significant progress has also been made in its application to molecular materials such as carbons, pharmaceuticals, polymers, liquids, coordination compounds, composites, and more. Here, an overview of applications toward a wide variety of molecular compounds (organic and inorganic) and systems with molecular components is presented. We then present pedagogical descriptions and tips for further implementation. Successful utilization of the method requires an interdisciplinary consolidation of material preparation, high quality scattering experimentation, data processing, model formulation, and attentive scrutiny of the results. It is hoped that this article will provide a useful reference to practitioners for PDF applications in a wide realm of molecular sciences, and help new practitioners to get started with this technique.

Bridging Structure, Dynamics, and Thermodynamics: An Example Study on Aqueous Potassium Halides

Aqueous salt systems are ubiquitous in all areas of life. The ions in these solutions impose important structural and dynamic perturbations to water. In this study, we employ a combined neutron scattering, nuclear magnetic resonance, and computational modeling approach to deconstruct ion-specific perturbations to water structure and dynamics and shed light on the molecular origins of bulk thermodynamic properties of the solutions. Our approach uses the atomistic scale resolution offered to us by neutron scattering and computational modeling to investigate how the properties of particular short-ranged microenvironments within aqueous systems can be related to bulk properties of the system. We find that by considering only the water molecules in the first hydration shell of the ions that the enthalpy of hydration can be determined. We also quantify the range over which ions perturb water structure by calculating the average enthalpic interaction between a central halide anion and the surrounding water molecules as a function of distance and find that the favorable anion-water enthalpic interactions only extend to ∼4 Å. We further validate this by showing that ions induce structure in their solvating water molecules by examining the distribution of dipole angles in the first hydration shell of the ions but that this perturbation does not extend into the bulk water. We then use these structural findings to justify mathematical models that allow us to examine perturbations to rotational and diffusive dynamics in the first hydration shell around the potassium halide ions from NMR measurements. This shows that as one moves down the halide series from fluorine to iodine, and ionic charge density is therefore reduced, that the enthalpy of hydration becomes less negative. The first hydration shell also becomes less well structured, and rotational and diffusive motions of the hydrating water molecules are increased. This reduction in structure and increase in dynamics are likely the origin of the previously observed increased entropy of hydration as one moves down the halide series. These results also suggest that simple monovalent potassium halide ions induce mostly local perturbations to water structure and dynamics.

Rigid Cations Induce Enhancement of Microheterogeneity and Exhibit Anomalous Ion Diffusion in Water-Ethanol Mixtures

Because of the amphiphilic nature of ethanol in the aqueous solution, ions cause an interesting microheterogeneity where the water molecules and the hydroxy groups of ethanol preferentially solvate the ions, while the ethyl groups tend to occupy the intervening space. Using computer simulations, we study the dynamics of rigid monovalent cations (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, and Cs⁺) in aqueous ethanol solutions with chloride as the counterion. We vary both the size of the ions and the composition of the mixture to explore size- and composition-dependent ion diffusion. The relative stability of enhanced microheterogeneous configurations makes ion diffusion slower than what would be surmised by using the bulk properties of the mixture, using the Stokes-Einstein relation. We study the structure through partial radial distribution functions and the stability through coordination number fluctuations. The ion diffusion coefficient exhibits sharp re-entrant behavior when plotted against viscosity varied by composition. Our studies reveal multiple anomalous features of ion motion in this mixture. We formulate a mode-coupling theory (MCT) that takes into account the interaction between different dynamical components; MCT can incorporate the effects of heterogeneous dynamics and nonlinearity in composition dependence that arise from the feedback between mutually dependent ion-solvent dynamics.

Anion-Assisted Delivery of Multivalent Cations to Inert Electrodes

To understand and control key electrochemical processes-metal plating, corrosion, intercalation, etc.-requires molecular-scale details of the active species at electrochemical interfaces and their mechanisms for desolvation from the electrolyte. Using free energy sampling techniques we reveal the interfacial speciation of divalent cations in ether-based electrolytes and mechanisms for their delivery to an inert graphene electrode interface. Surprisingly, we find that anion solvophobicity drives a high population of anion-containing species to the interface that facilitate the delivery of divalent cations, even to negatively charged electrodes. Our simulations indicate that cation desolvation is greatly facilitated by cation-anion coupling. We propose anion solvophobicity as a molecular-level descriptor for rational design of electrolytes with increased efficiency for electrochemical processes limited by multivalent cation desolvation.

Resolving the Equal Number Density Puzzle: Molecular Picture from Simulations of LiCl(aq) and NaCl(aq)

The change in number densities of aqueous solutions of alkali chlorides should be qualitatively predictable. Typically, as cations get larger, the number density of the solution decreases. However, aqueous solutions of lithium and sodium chloride exhibit at ambient conditions practically identical number densities at equal molalities despite different ionic sizes. Here, we provide an atomistic interpretation of this experimentally observed anomalous behavior using molecular dynamics simulations. The obtained results show that the rigidity of the Li⁺ first and second solvation shells and the associated compromised hydrogen bonding result in practically equal average water densities in the local hydration regions for Li⁺ and Na⁺ despite different sizes of the cations. In addition, in more distant regions from the cations, the water densities of these two solutions also coincide. These findings thus provide an atomistic interpretation for matching number densities of LiCl and NaCl solutions. In contrast, the number density differences between NaCl and KCl solutions as well as between LiCl and KCl solutions behave in a regular fashion with lower number densities of solutions observed for larger cations.

Hydration of Oxometallate Ions in Aqueous Solution

The strength of hydrogen bonding to and structure of hydrated oxometallate ions in aqueous solution have been studied by double difference infrared (DDIR) spectroscopy and large-angle X-ray scattering (LAXS), respectively. Anions are hydrated by accepting hydrogen bonds from the hydrating water molecules. The oxygen atom of the permanganate and perrhenate ions form weaker and longer hydrogen bonds to water than the hydrogen bonds in bulk water (i.e., they act as structure breakers), while the oxygen atoms of the chromate, dichromate, molybdate, tungstate, and hydrogenvanadate ions form hydrogen bonds stronger than those in bulk water (i.e., they act as structure makers). The oxometallate ions form one hydration shell distinguishable from bulk water as determined by DDIR spectroscopy and LAXS. The hydration of oxoanions results in X-O bond distances ca. 0.02 Å longer than those in unsolvated ions in the solid state not involved in strong bonding to counterions. The oxygens of oxoanions with a central atom from the second and third series in the periodic table and the hydrogenvanadate ion hydrogen bind three hydrating water molecules, while oxygens of oxoanions with a heavier central atom only form hydrogen bonds to two water molecules.

Deciphering the Solvent Effect for the Solvation Structure of Ca2+ in Polar Molecular Liquids

Although the crystal structures for many inorganic compounds are readily available, researchers are still working hard to understand the relations between the structures and chemical properties of solutions because most of the chemical reactions take place in solutions. A huge amount of effort has been put toward modeling the ion solvation structure from the perspectives of both experiments and theories. In this study, the solvation structures of Ca²⁺ ions in aqueous and alcoholic solutions at different concentrations were carefully evaluated by Ca K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analyses. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were also performed to correlate the results with the experimental data and then further extended to other similar systems. It was found that the number of coordinating solvent molecules decreases with increasing Ca²⁺ concentration and increasing solvent molecule sizes. From the EXAFS data, it was observed that the first solvation shell of Ca²⁺ splits into two Ca-O distances in a methanol solution and the counter ion Cl^- might also be within the first shell at high concentrations. For the first time, the effects of solvents with different polarities and sizes on the ion solvation environment were systematically evaluated.

Hydration structure and water exchange kinetics at xenotime-water interfaces: implications for rare earth minerals separation

Hydration of surface ions gives rise to structural heterogeneity and variable exchange kinetics of water at complex mineral-water interfaces. Here, we employ ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations and water adsorption calorimetry to examine the aqueous interfaces of xenotime, a phosphate mineral that contains predominantly Y3+ and heavy rare earth elements. Consistent with natural crystal morphology, xenotime is predicted to have a tetragonal prismatic shape, dominated by the {100} surface. Hydration of this surface induces multilayer interfacial water structures with distinct OH orientations, which agrees with recent crystal truncation rod measurements. The exchange kinetics between two adjacent water layers exhibits a wide range of underlying timescales (5-180 picoseconds), dictated by ion-water electrostatics. Adsorption of a bidentate hydroxamate ligand reveals that {100} xenotime surface can only accommodate monodentate coordination with water exchange kinetics strongly depending on specific ligand orientation, prompting us to reconsider traditional strategies for selective separation of rare-earth minerals.

Effects of Layer-Charge Distribution of 2:1 Clay Minerals on Methane Hydrate Formation: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study

Molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the effects of the external surface of a 2:1 clay mineral with different charge amounts and charge locations on CH₄ hydrate formation. The results showed that 5¹², 5¹²6², 5¹²6³, and 5¹²6⁴ were formed away from the clay mineral surface. The surface of the clay mineral with high- and low-charge layers was occupied by Na⁺ to form various distributions of outer- and inner-sphere hydration structures, respectively. The adsorbed Na⁺ on the high-charge layer surface reduced the H₂O activity by disturbing the hydrogen bond network, resulting in low tetrahedral arrangement of H₂O molecules near the layer surface, which inhibited CH₄ hydrate formation. However, more CH₄ molecules were adsorbed onto the vacancy in the Si-O rings of a neutral-charge layer to form semicage structures. Thus, the order parameter of H₂O molecules near this surface indicated that the arrangement of H₂O molecules resulted in a more optimal tetrahedral structure for CH₄ hydrate formation than that near the negatively charged layer surface. Different nucleation mechanisms of the CH₄ hydrate on external surfaces of clay mineral models were observed. For clay minerals with negatively charged layers (i.e., high and low charge), the homogeneous nucleation of the CH₄ hydrate occurred away from the surface. For a clay mineral with a neutral-charge layer, the CH₄ hydrate could nucleate either in the bulk-like solution homogeneously or at the clay mineral-H₂O interface heterogeneously.

Identifying Water-Anion Correlated Motion in Aqueous Solutions through Van Hove Functions

Electrolyte solutions are ubiquitous in materials in daily use and in biological systems. However, the understanding of their molecular and ionic dynamics, particularly those of their correlated motions, are elusive despite extensive experimental, theoretical, and numerical studies. Here we report the real-space observations of the molecular/ionic-correlated dynamics of aqueous salt (NaCl, NaBr, and NaI) solutions using the Van Hove functions obtained by high-resolution inelastic X-ray scattering measurement and molecular dynamics simulation. Our results directly depict the distance-dependent dynamics of aqueous salt solutions on the picosecond time scale and identify the changes in the anion-water correlations. This study demonstrates the capability of the real-space Van Hove function analysis to describe the local correlated dynamics in aqueous salt solutions.

"Ion Solvation Spectra": Free Energy Analysis of Solvation Structures of Multivalent Cations in Aprotic Solvents

Using advanced molecular dynamics free energy sampling techniques-both classical and ab initio-we analyze the solvation structures of multivalent cations in aprotic solvents. In contrast to previous studies of mono- and bivalent ions in organic solvents, mainly performed using hybrid cluster-continuum quantum chemistry calculations that rely on the assumption of uniqueness of ion solvation free energies, here we find that monatomic bivalent cations may have multiple well-defined minima, as previously reported only for water, or plateaus of free energy with respect to the ion-solvent coordination. These observations are generalized in the concept of the "ion solvation spectrum" to highlight the rich phenomenology related to ion solvation as opposed to the normally expected free energy profiles with a single coordination minimum. Specifically, we show that a single chemical species may exhibit a multiplicity of distinctly different electrochemical properties. Using one- and two-dimensional projections of the free energy landscape, we analyze the stability of ion solvation structures and reveal minimum free energy pathways for ion (de-)solvation with low-dimensional approximations to associated kinetic barriers. Unexpectedly, we show that in some cases the process of opening the first ion solvation shell, by removing a solvent molecule, may actually drive the ion into a free energy basin with a higher coordination number. Our study highlights some deficiencies of conventional methodologies for studying ion solvation as a path to determine redox potentials and provides experimentally testable predictions.

Measurements of the size and correlations between ions using an electrolytic point contact

The size of an ion affects everything from the structure of water to life itself. In this report, to gauge their size, ions dissolved in water are forced electrically through a sub-nanometer-diameter pore spanning a thin membrane and the current is measured. The measurements reveal an ion-selective conductance that vanishes in pores <0.24 nm in diameter-the size of a water molecule-indicating that permeating ions have a grossly distorted hydration shell. Analysis of the current noise power spectral density exposes a threshold, below which the noise is independent of current, and beyond which it increases quadratically. This dependence proves that the spectral density, which is uncorrelated below threshold, becomes correlated above it. The onset of correlations for Li+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+-ions extrapolates to pore diameters of 0.13 ± 0.11 nm, 0.16 ± 0.11 nm, 0.22 ± 0.11 nm and 0.25 ± 0.11 nm, respectively-consonant with diameters at which the conductance vanishes and consistent with ions moving through the sub-nanopore with distorted hydration shells in a correlated way.

On the Solute-Induced Structure-Making/Breaking Effect: Rigorous Links among Microscopic Behavior, Solvation Properties, and Solution Non-Ideality

We studied the solute-induced perturbation of the solvent environment around a solute species from a microscopic viewpoint and propose a novel approach to the understanding of the structure-making/breaking process, regardless of the type and nature of the solute-solvent interactions. Based on the Kirkwood-Buff fluctuation formalism, we present a rigorous statistical mechanics description of the evolution of the solvent structure around the solute, analyze its response to small perturbations of the ( TP) state conditions and composition of the system, and make direct connections between a few equivalent micro- and macroscopic manifestations as probes for, and targets of, experimental measurements. We illustrate the analysis with theoretical results from integral equation calculations of model fluids and experimental evidence from available data for a variety of aqueous electrolyte and nonelectrolyte real fluid solutions. Finally, we provide a critical discussion about the inadequacy underlying a widely used de facto criterion for the classification of structure-making/breaking solutes.

Development of the ReaxFF Methodology for Electrolyte-Water Systems

A new ReaxFF reactive force field has been developed for water-electrolyte systems including cations Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, and Cs⁺ and anions F^-, Cl^-, and I^-. The reactive force field parameters have been trained against quantum mechanical (QM) calculations related to water binding energies, hydration energies and energies of proton transfer. The new force field has been validated by applying it to molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the ionization of different electrolytes in water and comparison of the results with experimental observations and thermodynamics. Radial distribution functions (RDF) determined for most of the atom pairs (cation or anion with oxygen and hydrogen of water) show a good agreement with the RDF values obtained from DFT calculations. On the basis of the applied force field, the ReaxFF simulations have described the diffusion constants for water and electrolyte ions in alkali metal hydroxide and chloride salt solutions as a function of composition and electrolyte concentration. The obtained results open opportunities to advance ReaxFF methodology to a wide range of applications involving electrolyte ions and solutions.

Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the Influence of Lithium Bromide on the Structure of the Aqueous Solution-Air Interface

We present the results of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of the solution–air interface of aqueous lithium bromide (LiBr). We find that, in agreement with the experimental data and previous simulation results with empirical polarizable force field models, Br^– anions prefer to accumulate just below the first molecular water layer near the interface, whereas Li⁺ cations remain deeply buried several molecular layers from the interface, even at very high concentration. The separation of ions has a profound effect on the average orientation of water molecules in the vicinity of the interface. We also find that the hydration number of Li⁺ cations in the center of the slab N_{c,Li⁺–H2O} ≈ 4.7 ± 0.3, regardless of the salt concentration. This estimate is consistent with the recent experimental neutron scattering data, confirming that results from nonpolarizable empirical models, which consistently predict tetrahedral coordination of Li⁺ to four solvent molecules, are incorrect. Consequently, disruption of the hydrogen bond network caused by Li⁺ may be overestimated in nonpolarizable empirical models. Overall, our results suggest that empirical models, in particular nonpolarizable models, may not capture all of the properties of the solution–air interface necessary to fully understand the interfacial chemistry.

Single-Ion Thermodynamics from First Principles: Calculation of the Absolute Hydration Free Energy and Single-Electrode Potential of Aqueous Li+ Using ab Initio Quantum Mechanical/Molecular Mechanical Molecular Dynamics Simulations

A recently proposed thermodynamic integration (TI) approach formulated in the framework of quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical molecular dynamics (QM/MM MD) simulations is applied to study the structure, dynamics, and absolute intrinsic hydration free energy Δ_s G_M⁺,wat^◦ of the Li⁺ ion at a correlated ab initio level of theory. Based on the results, standard values (298.15 K, ideal gas at 1 bar, ideal solute at 1 molal) for the absolute intrinsic hydration free energy [Formula: see text] of the proton, the surface electric potential jump χ_wat^◦ upon entering bulk water, and the absolute single-electrode potential [Formula: see text] of the reference hydrogen electrode are calculated to be -1099.9 ± 4.2 kJ·mol^-1, 0.13 ± 0.08 V, and 4.28 ± 0.04 V, respectively, in excellent agreement with the standard values recommended by Hünenberger and Reif on the basis of an extensive evaluation of the available experimental data (-1100 ± 5 kJ·mol^-1, 0.13 ± 0.10 V, and 4.28 ± 0.13 V). The simulation results for Li⁺ are also compared to those for Na⁺ and K⁺ from a previous study in terms of relative hydration free energies ΔΔ_s G_M⁺,wat^◦ and relative electrode potentials [Formula: see text]. The calculated values are found to agree extremely well with the experimental differences in standard conventional hydration free energies ΔΔ_s G_M⁺,wat^• and redox potentials [Formula: see text]. The level of agreement between simulation and experiment, which is quantitative within error bars, underlines the substantial accuracy improvement achieved by applying a highly demanding QM/MM approach at the resolution-of-identity second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation (RIMP2) level over calculations relying on purely molecular mechanical or density functional theory (DFT) descriptions. A detailed analysis of the structural and dynamical properties of the Li⁺ hydrate indicates that a correct description of the solvation structure and dynamics is achieved as well at this level of theory. Consideration of the QM/MM potential-energy components also shows that the partitioning into QM and MM zones does not induce any significant energetic artifact for the system considered.

The influence of polarizability and charge transfer on specific ion effects in the dynamics of aqueous salt solutions

The diffusion rates for water molecules in salt solutions depend on the identity of the ions, as well as their concentration. Among the alkali metal ions, cesium and potassium increase and sodium strongly decreases the diffusion constant of water. The origin of the difference can be understood by examining the simulation results using different potential models. In this work, aqueous solutions of salts are simulated with a variety of models. Commonly used non-polarizable models, which otherwise reproduce many experimental properties, do not capture the trend in the diffusion constant, while models which include polarization and/or charge transfer interactions do. For the non-polarizable models, the diffusion constant decreases too strongly with salt concentration. The changes in the water diffusion constant with increasing salt concentration match the diffusion constant of the ion. The ion diffusion constant is dependent on the residence time for water in the ion solvation shell. The non-polarizable models over-estimate the residence time, relative to the translational diffusion constant and so tend to under-estimate the ion and water diffusion constants.

Interaction of NaOH solutions with silica surfaces

HYPOTHESIS

Sodium adsorption on silica surfaces depends on the solution counter-ion. Here, we use NaOH solutions to investigate basic environments.

SIMULATIONS

Sodium adsorption on hydroxylated silica surfaces from NaOH solutions were investigated through molecular dynamics with a dissociative force field, allowing for the development of secondary molecular species.

FINDINGS

Across the NaOH concentrations (0.01 M - 1.0 M), ∼50% of the Na⁺ ions were concentrated in the surface region, developing silica surface charges between - 0.01 C/m² (0.01 M NaOH) and - 0.76 C/m² (1.0 M NaOH) due to surface site deprotonation. Five inner-sphere adsorption complexes were identified, including monodentate, bidentate, and tridentate configurations and two additional structures, with Na⁺ ions coordinated by bridging oxygen and hydroxyl groups or water molecules. Coordination of Na⁺ ions by bridging oxygen atoms indicates partial or complete incorporation of Na⁺ ions into the silica surface. Residence time analysis identified that Na⁺ ions coordinated by bridging oxygen atoms stayed adsorbed onto the surface four times longer than the mono/bi/tridentate species, indicating formation of relatively stable and persistent Na⁺ ion adsorption structures. Such inner-sphere complexes form only at NaOH concentrations of > 0.5 M. Na⁺ adsorption and lifetimes have implications for the stability of silica surfaces.

Role of Counterion in the Adsorption Behavior of 1:1 Ionic Surfactants at Fluid Interfaces-Adsorption Properties of Alkali Perfluoro-n-octanoates at the Air/Water Interface

Equilibrium surface tension (σ_e) versus bulk concentration (c) isotherms of aqueous, surface-chemically pure solutions of various alkali perfluoro-n-octanoates were measured at 295 K. These 1:1 ionic surfactant systems belong to the pseudo nonionic ones. Evaluating the different σ_e vs log c isotherms by basic adsorption equations reveals that they follow ideal surface behavior. The novelty of this investigation exists in the fact that the surface area demand per molecule adsorbed calculated from the experimental σ_e vs log c isotherms is identical to that of the hydrated alkali cation. Thus, as long as the counterion's cross-sectional area is greater than that of its amphiphilic anion, the amphiphile's total surface area demand will exclusively be governed by that of its alkali counterion. This, in turn, means that the counterion is nonrandomly bound to the amphiphilic anion in the adsorption layer. Furthermore, the size of the hydrated alkali counterion in the adsorption layer does not differ from that in the bulk phase.

Ion Distribution and Hydration Structure in the Stern Layer on Muscovite Surface

Based on molecular dynamics simulations of eight ions (Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, Cs⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, and Ba²⁺) on muscovite mica surfaces in water, we demonstrate that experimental data on the muscovite mica surface can be rationalized through a unified picture of adsorption structures including the hydration structure, cation heights from the muscovite surface, and state stability. These simulations enable us to categorize the inner-sphere surface complex into two different species: an inner-sphere surface complex in a ditrigonal cavity (IS1) and that on top of Al (IS2). By considering the presence of the two inner-sphere surface complexes, the experimental finding that the heights of adsorbed cations from the muscovite surface are proportional to the ionic radius for K⁺ and Cs⁺ but inversely proportional to the ionic radius for Ca²⁺ and Ba²⁺ was explained. We find that Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, and Ba²⁺ can form both IS1 and IS2; K⁺, Rb⁺, and Cs⁺ can form only IS1; and Mg²⁺ can form only IS2. It is suggested that the formation of IS1 and IS2 is governed by the charge density of the ions. Among the eight ions, we also find that the hydration structure for the outer-sphere surface complexes of divalent cations differs from that of the monovalent cations by one adsorbed water molecule (i.e., a water molecule located in a ditrigonal cavity).

Orientational ordering of water in extended hydration shells of cations is ion-specific and is correlated directly with viscosity and hydration free energy

Specific ion effects in aqueous solutions are investigated at the molecular, nanoscopic and macroscopic levels.

The hydration structure of the heavy-alkalines Rb+ and Cs+ through molecular dynamics and X-ray absorption spectroscopy: surface clusters and eccentricity

Hydration shells around Rb⁺ and Cs⁺ are not symmetric; the cation and the 1st-shell water mass center are separated by ∼0.4 Å, and this is supported by agreement between the theoretical and experimental EXAFS spectrum.

“Thought experiments” as dry-runs for “tough experiments”: novel approaches to the hydration behavior of oxyanions

We explore the deconvolution of correlations for the interpretation of the microstructural behavior of aqueous electrolytes according to the neutron diffraction with isotopic substitution (NDIS) approach toward the experimental determination of ion coordination numbers of systems involving oxyanions, in particular, sulfate anions. We discuss the alluded interplay in the title of this presentation, emphasized the expectations, and highlight the significance of tackling the challenging NDIS experiments. Specifically, we focus on the potential occurrence of $N{i^{2 + }} \cdots SO_4^{2 - }$ pair formation, identify its signature, suggest novel ways either for the direct probe of the contact ion pair (CIP) strength and the subsequent correction of its effects on the measured coordination numbers, or for the determination of anion coordination numbers free of CIP contributions through the implementation of null-cation environments. For that purpose we perform simulations of NiSO4 aqueous solutions at ambient conditions to generate the distribution functions required in the analysis (a) to identify the individual partial contributions to the total neutron-weighted distribution function, (b) to isolate and assess the contribution of $N{i^{2 + }} \cdots SO_4^{2 - }$ pair formation, (c) to test the accuracy of the neutron diffraction with isotope substitution based coordination calculations and X-ray diffraction based assumptions, and (d) to describe the water coordination around both the sulfur and oxygen sites of the sulfate anion. We finally discuss the strength of this interplay on the basis of the inherent molecular simulation ability to provide all pair correlation functions that fully characterize the system microstructure and allows us to “reconstruct” the eventual NDIS output, i.e., to take an atomistic “peek” (e.g., see Figure 1) at the local environment around the isotopically-labeled species before any experiment is ever attempted, and ultimately, to test the accuracy of the “measured” NDIS-based coordination numbers against the actual values by the “direct” counting.

Atom-resolved analysis of an ionic KBr(001) crystal surface covered with a thin water layer by frequency modulation atomic force microscopy

An ionic KBr(001) crystal surface covered with a thin water layer was observed with a frequency modulation atomic force microscope (FM-AFM) with atomic resolution. By immersing only the tip apex of the AFM cantilever in the thin water layer, the Q-factor of the cantilever in probing the solid-liquid interface can be maintained as high as that of FM-AFM operation in air, leading to improvement of the minimum detection of a differential force determined by the noise. Two types of images with atom-resolved contrast were observed, possibly owing to the different types of ions (K(+) or Br(-)) adsorbed on the tip apex that incorporated into the hydration layers on the tip and on the sample surface. The force-distance characteristics at the solid-water interface were analyzed by taking spatial variation maps of the resonant frequency shift of the AFM cantilever with the high Q-factor. The oscillatory frequency shift-distance curves exhibited atomic site dependence. The roles of hydration and the ions on the tip and on the sample surface in the measurements were discussed.