Phase Stability Analysis in Binary Systems

Abstract

Stability analysis should be a standard practice for testing the physical validity of phase equilibrium states predicted by thermodynamic models however, it is seldom used in routine work of experimental data modeling. Lack of stability analysis may result in potential modeling pitfalls or in an inadequate prediction of data. In this contribution the concept of stability is reviewed from a general viewpoint, showing how it applies to completely general cases of binary phase equilibrium, from low to high-pressure ranges. Graphical examples are given using excess Gibbs energy models and equations of state.     

Solid-state phase transition induced by pressure in LiOH x H2O

When the free energy surface of the lithium hydroxide monohydrate crystal was explored, the high-pressure solid-state phase transition was determined. The high-pressure phase has been obtained through ab initio Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulation in the isothermic-isobaric ensemble. The recent metadynamics method has been applied to overcome the high activation energy barriers typical of rare events, like solid-state phase transition at high pressures. In the LiOH x H2O system, there are two kinds of H bonds: water-water and hydroxyl-water. The effect of the pressure has been investigated, to give further insight into the high-pressure phase. The strengthening of the H bonds of the system produces modifications in the water and the hydroxyl ion dipole electronic environment. The infrared spectra of both phases have been calculated and compared with experiments, and the assignment of the external modes has been discussed.     

Comparative studies on the reactivity of molecules by atomic valences

SINDO1 calculations were performed to study the reactivity of molecules with a valence number derived from the density matrix. A comparison of valence numbers was made for selected examples of rotation barriers, substituted strained molecules, radical gas phase reactions, and acid-base reactions. Relations between valence, geometry, and energy changes are discussed.     

The excess enthalpy of (tetrachloromethane + carbon disulphide) and (tetrachloromethane + dichloromethane) over a range of temperatures and pressures

Measurements of the excess molar enthalpy of (tetrachloromethane + carbon disulphide) and (tetrachloromethane + dichloromethane) have been made using an isothermal high-pressure flow calorimeter. The measurements for (tetrachloromethane + carbon disulphide) cover the range 283.15 to 323.15 K at pressures between 0.1 and 30 MPa. The excess molar enthalpies for (tetrachloromethane + dichloromethane) are reported at 298.15 K at 0.1, 15, and 30 MPa, and at 323.15 K at 0.2 MPa. The thermodynamic consistency of the results is shown by deriving the temperature dependence of the excess molar Gibbs free energy from them and comparing with published experimental values.     

High-pressure phases in polymers. V. Crystallization studies of synthetic cis-polyisoprene

The effects of elevated pressure on the morphology and crystallization kinetics of cis-polyisoprenes containing 2–2.5% trans units have been determined. Lamellar growth rates of both α and β crystals are enhanced by elevated pressure. The degree of enhancement of α-crystal rates is much greater resulting in an effective suppression of β growth. Differences in lamellar growth rates between these polymers and cis-polyisoprene result from different preexponent values. Hedritic or axialitic growth, presumably due to low-molecular-weight fractions, is observed in shish-kebabs present in strained films. The high-pressure hexagonal phase cannot be grown in these polymers.     

Comparison between experimental and calculated results on the decomposition of chemically activated alcohols

The life times of chemically activated alcohols have been determined using the high-pressure unimolecular rate parameters for thermal decomposition of alcohols from shocktube studies and RRKM calculations. They are compared with literature numbers (from insertion of 0(¹D) into hydrocarbons). It is suggested that in some cases singlet oxygen carries excess energy into the hydrocarbon. The consequences of such an assumption are explored and discrepancies with previously published conclusions discussed.     

Effect of molecular packing on adsorption and micelle formation of a homologous cationic surfactant mixture of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide

The surface tension of an aqueous solution of a hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) mixture was measured as a function of the total molality and the composition of DTAB at 298.15 K under atmospheric pressure. The phase diagrams of adsorption and micelle formation were constructed and the excess Gibbs energy was evaluated by analyzing the phase diagrams thermodynamically. Both the excess Gibbs energy in the adsorbed film and the excess surface area are negative; therefore the mutual interaction between HTAB and DTAB is said to be stronger than that between the same species and is enhanced with increasing adsorption. By combining the results with those obtained in previous studies, we claimed that DTAB molecules can use effectively the space among the hydrocarbon chains of HTAB molecules and their polar head groups take a staggered arrangement at the surface so as to reduce the electrostatic repulsion. Consequently the dispersion force between hydrophobic chains becomes stronger. Furthermore, the comparison of the excess Gibbs energy in the adsorbed film with that in the micelle shows that the staggered arrangement of molecules is not necessary in the spherical micelle.     

UF4 and the High-Pressure Polymorph HP-UF4

A laboratory-scale synthesis of UF₄ is presented that utilizes the reduction of UF₆ with sulfur in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride. An excess of sulfur can be removed by vacuum sublimation, yielding pure UF₄, as shown by powder X-ray diffraction, micro X-ray fluorescence analysis, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, as well as magnetic measurements. Furthermore, a single-crystalline, high-pressure modification of UF₄ was obtained in a multi-anvil press at elevated temperatures. The high-pressure polymorph HP-UF₄ was characterized by means of single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, as well as by magnetic measurements, and presents a novel crystal structure type. Quantum-chemical calculations show the HP-modification to be 10 kJ mol⁻¹ per formula unit higher in energy compared to UF₄.     

Excess Gibbs Energy of Mixing for Organic Carbonates from Fitting of Their Binary Phase Diagrams with Nonideal Solution Models

The excess Gibbs energies of mixing in the liquid state were evaluated for all the ten binary combinations of these five organic carbonates: ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate (DMC), ethyl methyl carbonate, and diethyl carbonate by fitting their measured binary phase diagrams with thermodynamic nonideal solution models based on the regular solution model. Using the results of these model fits, activity coefficients of the components in the solvent mixtures were calculated for the binary series containing EC and DMC as the common component, and the composition-averaged excess Gibbs energies of mixing were calculated by integrating the energy in the whole composition range for all the binaries. The results showed the excess Gibbs energy of mixing, and therefore the intermolecular forces, to be responsible for the changes in the phase diagrams, in the activity coefficients, and in the composition-averaged excess energy for the different binary solution combinations.     

One- and two-photon-induced ring-cleavage reactions of strained benzocycloalkenes via hot molecules

The ring-cleavage reactions of a series of benzocycloalkenes were studied using an ArF excimer laser. Product formation was significantly suppressed in the presence of nitrogen; therefore, the presence of vibrationally excited states (hot molecules), as intermediates, was indicated. The product of highly strained benzocyclobutene was linearly proportional to the laser fluence, whereas those of benzocyclopentene and benzocyclohexene were proportional to the square of the laser fluence in the presence of nitrogen. These phenomena cannot be understood as photochemical bond cleavage in the electronic excited state, but instead appear to be the result of single- and two-photon reactions of hot molecules. The dissociation rate constants were evaluated by a statistical rate theory under the assumption that the reaction occurred from the hot molecule. The reaction rate of highly strained benzocyclobutene was predicted to be faster than the collisional rate with foreign gas, even if it had vibrational energy equivalent to one photon; however, the reaction rates of less strained benzocyclohexene were expected to compete with the collisional rate when the vibrational energy was equivalent to two photons. Benzocyclopentene was an intermediate case and showed both single- and two-photon reactions. The dissociation rate constant of 1.4 x 10(6) s(-1) was successfully obtained from benzocyclopentene under collision-free conditions. This value was in fair agreement with the calculated value. The different dissociation rate constants of the molecules were well-explained in terms of the strain energy. Although the strain energy varies in a wide range (10-130 kJ mol(-1)), the simple model of the calculations reproduced the observed values of the CH2-CH2 bond dissociation in strained benzocycloalkenes.     

Structural and dynamical properties of solid ammonia borane under high pressure

The structural and dynamical properties of solid ammonia borane were investigated by means of extensive density functional theory calculation up to 60 GPa. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the Cmc2(1) phase found by recent room-temperature x-ray diffraction experiments can be obtained from the Pmn2(1) structure at high pressure and low temperature. Two new high-pressure phases were found on further compression at room temperature. We also found that all three high-pressure phases have proton-ordered structures, and the separation of the NH(3) and BH(3) rotation observed in the simulations can be explained by their distinct rotational energy barriers. The role of dihydrogen bonds in the high-pressure phases is discussed.     

High-pressure differential thermal analysis (HP-DTA)

High-pressure differential thermal analysis results are used to describe dehydration reactions for the clay-like materials of Na-rich montmorillonite, K-, Ca-, and Mg-exchanged montmorillonite, kerolite, and a high-pressure phase resembling talc/mica with excess water. Because sealed capsules may be used to contain fluids, it is possible to evaluate the role of H₂O in these reactions. A separate paper (Part II) addresses the use of HP-DTA to understand dehydroxylation reactions in these materials.     

Structural refinement of the high-pressure phase of aluminum trihydroxide: in-situ high-pressure angle dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction and theoretical studies

In-situ high-pressure synchrotron angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction for gibbsite (aluminum trihydroxide) was performed at room temperature up to 20 GPa. A pressure-induced phase transition was observed at 2.6 GPa. The new high-pressure phase can be recovered at ambient pressure. Rietveld refinement shows that the new phase of Al(OH)(3) has an orthorhombic structure, spacegroup Pbca, and the lattice parameters at ambient condition are a = 868.57(5) pm, b = 505.21(4) pm, c = 949.54(6) pm, V = 416.67(6) x 10(6) pm(3) with Z = 8. The compressibility of gibbsite and the high-pressure polymorph was analyzed, and their bulk moduli were estimated as 49.8 +/- 1.8 and 81.0 +/- 5.2 GPa, respectively. First-principles calculations of the high-pressure phase were performed to determine the hydrogen positions and to confirm the structural stability of the new phase.     

On the direct calculation of the free energy of quantization for molecular systems in the condensed phase

Using the path integral formalism or the Feynman-Hibbs approach, various expressions for the free energy of quantization for a molecular system in the condensed phase can be derived. These lead to alternative methods to directly compute quantization free energies from molecular dynamics computer simulations, which were investigated with an eye to their practical use. For a test system of liquid neon, two methods are shown to be most efficient for a direct evaluation of the excess free energy of quantization. One of them makes use of path integral simulations in combination with a single-step free energy perturbation approach and was previously reported in the literature. The other method employs a Feynman-Hibbs effective Hamiltonian together with the thermodynamic integration formalism. However, both methods are found to give less accurate results for the excess free energy of quantization than the estimate obtained from explicit path integral calculations on the excess free energy of the neon liquid in the classical and quantum mechanical limit. Suggestions are made to make both methods more accurate.     

A straightforward route to alkyl 5-arylthiophene-2-thiocarboxylates from alkyl 2-aroyl-1-chlorocyclopropanecarboxylates

In this article, a direct synthetic method for alkyl 5-arylthiophene-2-thiocarboxylates was reported. Treatment of alkyl 2-aroyl-1-chlorocyclopropanecarboxylates with excess amount of Lawesson's reagent readily afforded alkyl 5-arylthiophene-2-thiocarboxylates in good to excellent yields under mild conditions. This cycloisomerization reaction process would be initiated by a ring-opening of the strained cyclopropane.     

Struture stability and compressibility of iron-based superconductor Nd(O0.88F0.12)FeAs under high pressure

The high-pressure angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction experiments on the iron-based superconductor Nd(O0.88F0.12)FeAs were performed up to 32.7 GPa at room temperature. An isostructural phase transition starts at approximately 10 GPa. When pressure is higher than 13.5 GPa, Nd(O0.88F0.12)FeAs completely transforms to a high-pressure phase, which remains the same tetragonal structure with a larger a-axis and smaller c-axis than those of the low-pressure phase. The ambient conditions isothermal bulk moduli B0 are derived as 102(2) and 245(9) GPa for the low-pressure phase and high-pressure phase, respectively. The structure analysis based on the Rietveld refinement methods shows the difference of pressure dependence of the Fe-As and Nd-(O, F) bonding distances, as well as As-Fe-As and Nd-(O, F)-Nd angles between the low-pressure phase and high-pressure phase.     

高压下的原子和分子行为

近些年,高压化学的研究取得了非常多的成果。本文从基础化学原理出发,讨论高压对原子轨道能量和化学键的影响。高压下,原子轨道能量会发生改变,从而导致核外电子在轨道间的重新排布,影响到元素的化学性质。于分子而言,高压下分子晶体会发生相变,不饱和化合物会发生自聚,饱和化合物则有可能金属化。     

High-pressure phase transition in LiBH4

The high-pressure phase transition from ambient pressure α-LiBH₄ to high-pressure β-LiBH₄ was observed by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction between 0.8 and 1.1 GPa. The phase boundary between these two phases was mapped over a large range of temperatures using thermal conductivity studies and differential thermal analysis. The structure of the high-pressure phase could not be identified due to small number of experimentally observed reflections, but it was shown that it is different from previously reported theoretical predictions.