1
|
Le TTB, Finney AR, Zen A, Bui T, Tay WJ, Chellappah K, Salvalaglio M, Michaelides A, Striolo A. Mesoscale Simulations Reveal How Salt Influences Clay Particles Agglomeration in Aqueous Dispersions. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:1612-1624. [PMID: 37916678 PMCID: PMC10902848 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
The aggregation of clay particles is an everyday phenomenon of scientific and industrial relevance. However, it is a complex multiscale process that depends delicately on the nature of the particle-particle and particle-solvent interactions. Toward understanding how to control such phenomena, a multiscale computational approach is developed, building from molecular simulations conducted at atomic resolution to calculate the potential of mean force (PMF) profiles in both pure and saline water environments. We document how it is possible to use such a model to develop a fundamental understanding concerning the mechanism of particle aggregation. For example, using molecular dynamics simulations conducted at the mesoscale in implicit solvents, it is possible to quantify the size and shape of clay aggregates as a function of system conditions. The approach is used to emphasize the role of salt concentration, which directly affects the potentials of the mean forces between kaolinite particles. While particle agglomeration in pure water yields large aggregates, the presence of sodium chloride in the aqueous brine leads instead to a large number of small aggregates. These results are consistent with macroscopic experimental observations, suggesting that the simulation protocol developed could be relevant for preventing pore blocking in heterogeneous porous matrixes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tran Thi Bao Le
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, WC1E 7JE, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aaron R Finney
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, WC1E 7JE, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Zen
- Dipartimento di Fisica Ettore Pancini, Università di Napoli Federico II, Monte S. Angelo, I-80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Tai Bui
- BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd, Chertsey Road, Sunbury-on-Thames TW16 7LN, United Kingdom
| | - Weparn J Tay
- BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd, Chertsey Road, Sunbury-on-Thames TW16 7LN, United Kingdom
| | - Kuhan Chellappah
- BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd, Chertsey Road, Sunbury-on-Thames TW16 7LN, United Kingdom
| | - Matteo Salvalaglio
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, WC1E 7JE, London, United Kingdom
| | - Angelos Michaelides
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Alberto Striolo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, WC1E 7JE, London, United Kingdom
- School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Interaction between surfaces decorated with like-charged pendants: Unravelling the interplay between energy and entropy leading to attraction. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 619:51-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.03.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
3
|
de Bono JP, McDowell GR. Some important aspects of modelling clay platelet interactions using DEM. POWDER TECHNOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2021.117056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
4
|
Sakhawoth Y, Michot L, Levitz P, Rollet AL, Sirieix-Plenet J, Merino DH, Malikova N. Aggregation of Plate-like Colloids Induced by Charged Polymer Chains: Organization at the Nanometer Scale Tuned by Polymer Charge Density. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:10937-10946. [PMID: 31318560 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b00939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We study the aggregation of charged plate-like colloids, Na-montmorillonite clays, in the presence of ionenes, oppositely charged polymer chains. The choice of the charged polymer allows tuning its linear charge density to match/mismatch the average charge separation on the clay surfaces. We assess the nanoscale structure of the aggregates formed by small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering. The nanoscale features of the formed clay aggregates are dominated by the presence of a stacking peak, giving clear evidence for the formation of clay tactoids, that is, a face-to-face aggregation geometry of the clay platelets. The chain charge density of ionenes influences not only the stacking repeat distance within the clay tactoids but also the extent of stacking and abundance of the tactoids. We may distinguish two regimes as a function of clay and ionene polymer charge densities (ρc and ρp, respectively). The first regime applies to ρp > ρc and ρp ≈ ρc, that is, for highly and "matching" charged chains. Under these conditions, the intercalated chains lie in a flat conformation within the tactoids, irrespective of the ionic strength (within the range studied, i.e., up to 0.05 M NaBr). For weakly charged chains, ρp < ρc, undulation of the ionene chains within the tactoid is seen. The degree of undulation increases with ionic strength due to the decreasing persistence length of the ionene chains. The extent of stacking (5-10 platelets per tactoid) is a general feature of all the systems, and its origin remains unknown. The system corresponding to the closest match in charge separations on the clay surface and on the polymer chain (ρp ≈ ρc) features the highest abundance of tactoids. This coincides with the highest macroscopic density as deduced from simple visual inspection of sediment volumes. This leads to the open question regarding the link between the density at the nanoscale and the macroscopic density and sedimentation behavior of the aggregate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasine Sakhawoth
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Electrolytes and Interfacial Nanosystems (PHENIX), Sorbonne Université, CNRS , 75005 Paris , France
| | - Laurent Michot
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Electrolytes and Interfacial Nanosystems (PHENIX), Sorbonne Université, CNRS , 75005 Paris , France
| | - Pierre Levitz
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Electrolytes and Interfacial Nanosystems (PHENIX), Sorbonne Université, CNRS , 75005 Paris , France
| | - Anne-Laure Rollet
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Electrolytes and Interfacial Nanosystems (PHENIX), Sorbonne Université, CNRS , 75005 Paris , France
| | - Juliette Sirieix-Plenet
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Electrolytes and Interfacial Nanosystems (PHENIX), Sorbonne Université, CNRS , 75005 Paris , France
| | - Daniel Hermida Merino
- ESRF (The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility) , 71 Avenue des Martyrs , 38000 Grenoble France
| | - Natalie Malikova
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Electrolytes and Interfacial Nanosystems (PHENIX), Sorbonne Université, CNRS , 75005 Paris , France
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Suman K, Joshi YM. Microstructure and Soft Glassy Dynamics of an Aqueous Laponite Dispersion. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2018; 34:13079-13103. [PMID: 30180583 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic hectorite clay Laponite RD/XLG is composed of disk-shaped nanoparticles that acquire dissimilar charges when suspended in an aqueous medium. Owing to their property to spontaneously self-assemble, Laponite is used as a rheology modifier in a variety of commercial water-based products. In particular, an aqueous dispersion of Laponite undergoes a liquid-to-solid transition at about 1 vol % concentration. The evolution of the physical properties as the dispersion transforms to the solid state is reminiscent of physical aging in molecular as well as colloidal glasses. The corresponding soft glassy dynamics of an aqueous Laponite dispersion, including the rheological behavior, has been extensively studied in the literature. In this feature article, we take an overview of recent advances in understanding soft glassy dynamics and various efforts taken to understand the peculiar rheological behavior. Furthermore, the continuously developing microstructure that is responsible for the eventual formation of a soft solid state that supports its own weight against gravity has also been a topic of intense debate and discussion. In particularly, extensive experimental and theoretical studies lead to two types of microstructures for this system: an attractive gel-like or a repulsive glass-like structure. We carefully examine and critically analyze the literature and propose a state (phase) diagram that suggests an aqueous Laponite dispersion to be present in an attractive gel state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Khushboo Suman
- Department of Chemical Engineering , Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur , India
| | - Yogesh M Joshi
- Department of Chemical Engineering , Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur , India
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Jansson M, Thuresson A, Plivelic TS, Forsman J, Skepö M. The effect of the relative permittivity on the tactoid formation in nanoplatelet systems. A combined computer simulation, SAXS, and osmotic pressure study. J Colloid Interface Sci 2018; 513:575-584. [PMID: 29190569 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2017.11.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The structural properties, and the intracrystalline swelling of Na+-, and Ca2+-montmorillonite (Na-, and Ca-mmt) have been investigated as an effect of decreasing the relative permittivity of the solvent, i.e. from water to ethanol (EtOH), utilizing the experimental techniques; small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and osmotic pressure measurements. The experimental data were compared with the continuum model, utilizing coarse-grained molecular dynamics bulk simulations, Monte Carlo simulations of two infinite parallel surfaces corresponding to two clay platelets, and the strong coupling theory. It was found that it is possible to tune the electrostatic interactions to obtain a transition from a repulsive to an attractive system for the Na-mmt by increasing the EtOH concentration, i.e. the Bjerrum length increases, and hence, the attractive ion-ion correlation forces are enhanced. A qualitative agreement was observed between the simulations and the experimental results. Moreover, a non-monotonic behavior of the intracrystalline swelling of Ca-mmt as a function of EtOH concentration was captured experimentally, where an increase in the osmotic pressure, and hence, an increase in the d-spacing was found at low concentrations, indicating that repulsive short-ranged interactions dominate in the system. Theoretically, the non-monotonic behavior could not be captured with the continuum model, probably due to the limitation that the electrostatic interactions solely enters the Hamiltonian via the Bjerrum length.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Jansson
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Axel Thuresson
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Tomás S Plivelic
- MAX IV Laboratory, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Jan Forsman
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Marie Skepö
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Delhorme M, Labbez C, Turesson M, Lesniewska E, Woodward CE, Jönsson B. Aggregation of Calcium Silicate Hydrate Nanoplatelets. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2016; 32:2058-2066. [PMID: 26859614 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.5b03846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We study the aggregation of calcium silicate hydrate nanoplatelets on a surface by means of Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations at thermodynamic equilibrium. Calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) is the main component formed in cement and is responsible for the strength of the material. The hydrate is formed in early cement paste and grows to form platelets on the nanoscale, which aggregate either on dissolving cement particles or on auxiliary particles. The general result is that the experimentally observed variations in these dynamic processes generically called growth can be rationalized from interaction free energies, that is, from pure thermodynamic arguments. We further show that the surface charge density of the particles determines the aggregate structures formed by C-S-H and thus their growth modes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Delhorme
- ICB, UMR 6303 CNRS, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté , FR-21000 Dijon, France
- Theoretical Chemistry, Chemical Center, POB 124, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Christophe Labbez
- ICB, UMR 6303 CNRS, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté , FR-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Martin Turesson
- ICB, UMR 6303 CNRS, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté , FR-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Eric Lesniewska
- ICB, UMR 6303 CNRS, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté , FR-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Cliff E Woodward
- PEMS, University of New South Wales , Canberra 260x ACT, Australia
| | - Bo Jönsson
- Theoretical Chemistry, Chemical Center, POB 124, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bonnaud PA, Labbez C, Miura R, Suzuki A, Miyamoto N, Hatakeyama N, Miyamoto A, Van Vliet KJ. Interaction grand potential between calcium-silicate-hydrate nanoparticles at the molecular level. NANOSCALE 2016; 8:4160-4172. [PMID: 26866999 DOI: 10.1039/c5nr08142d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Calcium-silicate-hydrate (or C-S-H), an inosilicate, is the major binding phase in cement pastes and concretes and a porous hydrated material made up of a percolated and dense network of crystalline nanoparticles of a mean apparent spherical diameter of ∼5 nm that are each stacks of multiple C-S-H layers. Interaction forces between these nanoparticles are at the origin of C-S-H chemical, physical, and mechanical properties at the meso- and macroscales. These particle interactions and the resulting properties may be affected significantly by nanoparticle density and environmental conditions such as the temperature, relative humidity, or concentration of chemical species in the bulk solution. In this study, we combined grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations and an extension of the mean force integration method to derive the pair potentials. This approach enables realistic simulation of the physical environment surrounding the C-S-H particles. We thus constructed the pair potentials for C-S-H nanoparticles of defined chemical stoichiometry at 10% relative humidity (RH), varying the relative crystallographic orientations at a constant particle density of ρpart ∼ 2.21 mmol L(-1). We found that cohesion between nanoparticles is affected strongly by both the aspect ratio and the crystallographic misorientation of interacting particles. This method and the findings underscore the importance of accounting for relative dimensions and orientation among C-S-H nanoparticles in descriptions of physical and simulated multiparticle aggregates or mesoscale systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A Bonnaud
- Miyamoto Laboratory, New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
| | - Christophe Labbez
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne, UMR 6303, CNRS - Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21078, Dijon, France
| | - Ryuji Miura
- Miyamoto Laboratory, New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
| | - Ai Suzuki
- Miyamoto Laboratory, New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
| | - Naoto Miyamoto
- Miyamoto Laboratory, New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
| | - Nozomu Hatakeyama
- Miyamoto Laboratory, New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
| | - Akira Miyamoto
- Miyamoto Laboratory, New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
| | - Krystyn J Van Vliet
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Segad M, Cabane B, Jönsson B. Reactivity, swelling and aggregation of mixed-size silicate nanoplatelets. NANOSCALE 2015; 7:16290-16297. [PMID: 26376952 DOI: 10.1039/c5nr04615g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Montmorillonite is a key ingredient in a number of technical applications. However, little is known regarding the microstructure and the forces between silicate platelets. The size of montmorillonite platelets from different natural sources can vary significantly. This has an influence on their swelling behavior in water as well as in salt solutions, particularly when tactoid formation occurs, that is when divalent counterions are present in the system. A tactoid consists of a limited number of platelets aggregated in a parallel arrangement with a constant separation. The tactoid size increases with platelet size and with very small nanoplatelets, ∼30 nm, no tactoids are observed irrespectively of the platelet origin and concentration of divalent ions. The formation and dissociation of tactoids seem to be reversible processes. A large proportion of small nanoplatelets in a mixed-size system affects the tactoid formation, reduces the aggregation number and increases the extra-lamellar swelling in the system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Segad
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Akinshina A, Walker M, Wilson MR, Tiddy GJT, Masters AJ, Carbone P. Thermodynamics of the self-assembly of non-ionic chromonic molecules using atomistic simulations. The case of TP6EO2M in aqueous solution. SOFT MATTER 2015; 11:680-691. [PMID: 25471658 DOI: 10.1039/c4sm02275k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Atomistic molecular dynamic simulations have been performed for the non-ionic chromonic liquid crystal 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexa-(1,4,7-trioxa-octyl)-triphenylene (TP6EO2M) in aqueous solution. TP6EO2M molecules consist of a central poly-aromatic core (a triphenylene ring) functionalized by six hydrophilic ethyleneoxy (EO) chains, and have a strong tendency to aggregate face-to-face into stacks even in very dilute solution. We have studied self-assembly of the molecules in the low concentration range corresponding to an isotropic solution of aggregates, using two force fields GAFF and OPLS. Our results reveal that the GAFF force field, even though it was successfully used previously for modelling of ionic chromonics, overestimates the attraction of TP6EO2M molecules in water. This results in an aggregation free energy which is too high, a reduced hydration of EO chains and, therefore, molecular self-assembly into compact disordered clusters instead of stacks. In contrast, use of the OPLS force field, leads to self-assembly into ordered stacks in agreement with earlier experimental studies of triphenylene-based chromonics. The free energy of association follows a "quasi-isodesmic" pattern, where the binding free energy of two molecules to form a dimer is of the order of 2.5 RT larger than the corresponding energy of addition of a molecule into a stack. The obtained value for the binding free energy, ΔG=-12 RT, is found to be in line with the published values for typical ionic chromonics (-7 to -12 RT), and agrees reasonably well with the experimental results for this system. The calculated interlayer distance between the molecules in a stack is 0.37 nm, which is at the top of the range found for typical chromonics (0.33-0.37 nm). We suggest that the relatively large layer spacing can be attributed to the repulsion between EO side chains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Akinshina
- School of Chemical Engineering & Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Thuresson A, Ullner M, Turesson M. Interaction and aggregation of charged platelets in electrolyte solutions: a coarse-graining approach. J Phys Chem B 2014; 118:7405-13. [PMID: 24896879 DOI: 10.1021/jp502015g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A coarse-graining approach has been developed to replace the effect of explicit ions with an effective pair potential between charged sites in anisotropic colloidal particles by optimizing a potential of mean force against the results of simulations of two such colloidal particles with all ions in a cell model. More specifically, effective pair potentials were obtained for charged platelets in electrolyte solutions by simulating two rotating parallel platelets with ions at the primitive model level, enclosed in a cylindrical cell. One-component bulk simulations of many platelets interacting via the effective pair potentials are in excellent agreement with the corresponding bulk simulations with all mobile charges present. The bulk simulations were mainly used to study the effects of platelet size, flexibility, and surface charge density on platelet aggregation in an aqueous 2:1 electrolyte, but systems in a 1:1 electrolyte were also investigated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Axel Thuresson
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University , P.O. Box 124, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Ebrahimi D, Whittle AJ, Pellenq RJM. Mesoscale properties of clay aggregates from potential of mean force representation of interactions between nanoplatelets. J Chem Phys 2014. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4870932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
|