Application of the generalised SAFT-VR approach for long-ranged square-well potentials to model the phase behaviour of real fluids

In a recent generalisation of the SAFT-VR equation of state the method was extended so as to deal with short as well as long square-well ranges, namely, 1.2≤λ≤3.0$1.2\le \lambda \le 3.0$ [B.H. Patel, H. Docherty, S. Varga, A. Galindo, G.C. Maitland., Mol. Phys. 103 (1) (2005) 129–139]. Here, we confirm the accuracy of the approach by comparison with numerical calculations of the first perturbation term and with vapour pressure and coexistence density computer simulation data. The approach is then used to model a number of real substances, from non-polar to strongly polar. We discuss in particular the values of the square-well potential model found. For this purpose we construct a relative least squares objective function and the percentage absolute average deviation (%AAD) to determine the intermolecular model parameters (m  , λ$\lambda$, σ$\sigma$, ?/_kB$?/k_B$, _?hb/_kB${?}_{hb}/k_B$ and _rc$r_c$) by comparison to experimental vapour-pressure and saturated liquid density data. In order to ensure in each case that the global minimum is identified, the dimensionality of the problem is reduced by discretising the parameter-space [G.N.I. Clark, A.J. Haslam, A. Galindo, G. Jackson., Mol. Phys. 104 (22–24) (2006) 3561–3581]. Applying this method to the study of argon, n  -alkanes, nitrogen, benzene, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, the refrigerant R1270, hydrogen chloride hydrogen bromide and water we find that the optimal models always present square-well ranges λ<1.8$\lambda <1.8$, meaning that an upper bound value of λ=1.8$\lambda =1.8$ set in the original approach is sufficient to model real fluids; even polar ones. This finding is explained in terms of the averaged dipole–dipole interaction and of the long-range mean-field limit of the square-well potential.     

Hybrid Solvation Model with First Solvation Shell for Calculation of Solvation Free Energy

We present a hybrid solvation model with first solvation shell to calculate solvation free energies. This hybrid model combines the quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics methods with the analytical expression based on the Born solvation model to calculate solvation free energies. Based on calculated free energies of solvation and reaction profiles in gas phase, we set up a unified scheme to predict reaction profiles in solution. The predicted solvation free energies and reaction barriers are compared with experimental results for twenty bimolecular nucleophilic substitution reactions. These comparisons show that our hybrid solvation model can predict reliable solvation free energies and reaction barriers for chemical reactions of small molecules in aqueous solution.     

Solvation potentials for flexible chain molecules in solution: on the validity of a pairwise decomposition

The effects of a solvent on the conformation of a flexible n-site solute molecule can be described formally in terms of an n-body solvation potential. Given the practical difficulty in computing such multibody potentials, it is common to carry out a pairwise decomposition in which the n-body potential is approximated by a sum of two-body potentials. Here we investigate the validity of this two-site approximation for short interaction-site chain-in-solvent systems. Using exact expressions for the conformation of an isolated chain, we construct a mapping between the full chain-in-solvent system and its solvation potential representation. We present results for both hard-sphere and square-well systems with n=5 that show that the two-site approximation is sufficient to completely capture the effects of an explicit solvent on chain conformation for a wide range of conditions (which include varying the solvent diameter in the hard-sphere system and varying the chain-solvent coupling in the square-well system). In all cases, a set of two-site potentials (one for each distinct site-site pair) is required. We also show that these two-site solvation potentials can be used to accurately compute a multisite intramolecular correlation function.     

Solvation force, structure and thermodynamics of fluids confined in geometrically rough pores

The effect of periodic surface roughness on the behavior of confined soft sphere fluids is investigated using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations. Rough pores are constructed by taking the prototypical slit-shaped pore and introducing unidirectional sinusoidal undulations on one wall. For the above geometry our study reveals that the solvation force response can be phase shifted in a controlled manner by varying the amplitude of roughness. At a fixed amplitude of roughness, a, the solvation force for pores with structured walls was relatively insensitive to the wavelength of the undulation, lambda for 2.3/=0.5. The predictions of the superposition approximation, where the solvation force response for the rough pores is deduced from the solvation force response of the slit-shaped pores, was in excellent agreement with simulation results for the structured pores and for lambda/sigma(ff)>/=7 in the case of smooth walled pores. Grand potential computations illustrate that interactions between the walls of the pore can alter the pore width corresponding to the thermodynamically stable state, with wall-wall interactions playing an important role at smaller pore widths and higher amplitudes of roughness.     

Activation energies and potentials of mean force for water cluster evaporation

Activation energies for water cluster evaporation are of interest in many areas of chemical physics. We present the first computation of activation energies for monomer evaporation of small water clusters using the formalism of dynamical nucleation theory (DNT). To this end, individual evaporation rate constants are computed for water clusters (H(2)O)(i), where i=2-10 for temperatures ranging from 243 to 333 K. These calculations employ a parallel sampling technique utilizing a Global Arrays toolkit. The resulting evaporation rate constants for each cluster are then fitted to Arrhenius equations to obtain activation energies. We discuss DNT evaporation rate constants and their relation to potentials of mean force, activation energies, and how to account for nonseparability of the reaction coordinate in the reactant state partition function.     

Solvation parameters for amino acids

Atomic radii have been derived for the common amino acid side chains using a solvent interaction potential (SIP) based on quantum mechanically derived charges. Solvation energies calculated using these parameters are compared with those obtained using other sets of radii and charges, and from alternative methods. The differences from the experimental solvation energies for the nonionizable residues are all less than 10 kJ mol⁻¹. The largest error in the solvation energy occurs for acetic acid (−16.0 kJ mol⁻¹). For the charged side chain systems the difference from experiment are all less than 10 kJ mol⁻¹. SIP parameters for the aminoacetaldehyde derivatives of the common amino acids are presented. These are used in the calculation of the relative binding energies of six benzamidine inhibitors with trypsin. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 20: 428–442, 1999     

溶剂化的热力学集团展开理论

把二元溶液的过剩内能（excess energy）分成溶剂-溶剂、溶剂-溶质及溶质-溶质相互作用部分。利用集团展开方法给出了二元溶液在正则系综的配分函数的表达式,利用该表达式得到了溶质的偏摩尔内能(partial molar energy)和偏摩尔熵(partial molar entropy)的表达式。在无限稀溶液情形,过剩偏摩尔内能的溶剂-溶剂部分又称重组织内能（reorganization energy）,它反映了溶质存在时对其周围溶剂分子之间的相互作用能的影响。研究表明,在溶质的粒子数密度相对较大时,溶质分子之间的相互作用将影响过剩偏摩尔内能的溶剂-溶剂部分,对于稀溶液,过剩偏摩尔内能的溶剂-溶剂部分与溶质的摩尔分数成线性关系。对低密度二元溶液,溶质的过剩偏摩尔内能和过剩偏摩尔熵也与溶质的摩尔分数成线性关系。     

Calculating potentials of mean force from steered molecular dynamics simulations

Steered molecular dynamics (SMD) permits efficient investigations of molecular processes by focusing on selected degrees of freedom. We explain how one can, in the framework of SMD, employ Jarzynski's equality (also known as the nonequilibrium work relation) to calculate potentials of mean force (PMF). We outline the theory that serves this purpose and connects nonequilibrium processes (such as SMD simulations) with equilibrium properties (such as the PMF). We review the derivation of Jarzynski's equality, generalize it to isobaric--isothermal processes, and discuss its implications in relation to the second law of thermodynamics and computer simulations. In the relevant regime of steering by means of stiff springs, we demonstrate that the work on the system is Gaussian-distributed regardless of the speed of the process simulated. In this case, the cumulant expansion of Jarzynski's equality can be safely terminated at second order. We illustrate the PMF calculation method for an exemplary simulation and demonstrate the Gaussian nature of the resulting work distribution.     

Multiparameter Correlations for Description of Thermodynamic Parameters of Solvation: I. Enthalpy of Nonspecific Solvation

Applicability of a linear solvation-energy approach for descripition of the solvation enthalpies of nonelectrolytes is examined. In most cases a good fit of experimental solvation enthalpies can be attained. However, the resulting data are difficult to interpret in terms of different types of intermolecular interactions.     

Solvation of inorganic complexes: transfer chemical potentials for mono- and bi-nuclear cobalt(III) complexes to methanol + water mixtures

Solubilities in MeOH--H₂O mixtures at 298.2 K are reported for a number of salts of mono- and bi-nuclear cobalt(III) complexes. From these solubilities and published single ion transfer chemical potentials, on the TPTB (Ph₄P⁺ = BPh^– ₄ ) assumption, transfer chemical potentials have been derived for these mono- and bi-nuclear cobalt(III) complexes. The results and trends are discussed in relation to those for other complexes and ions in these binary aqueous solvent mixtures.     

Solvation pressure in chloroform

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of chloroform vapor and liquid at normal temperature and pressure and liquid under hydrostatic pressure are presented, giving bond lengths and vibrational frequencies as functions of pressure. The change in bond lengths between vapor and liquid at normal temperature and pressure is consistent with a pressure equivalent to the cohesive energy density (CED) of the liquid, supporting the solvation pressure model which predicts that solvated molecules or nanoparticles experience a pressure equal to the CED of the liquid. Experimental data for certain Raman frequencies of chloroform in the vapor phase, in the liquid, and in the liquid under pressure are presented and compared to MD. Results for C-Cl vibrational modes are in general agreement with the solvation pressure model whereas frequencies associated with the C-H bond are not. The results demonstrate that masking interactions exist in the real liquid that can be reduced or eliminated in simplified simulations.     

Solvation in supercritical water

Solvation in supercritical water under equilibrium and nonequilibrium conditions is studied via molecular dynamics simulations. The influence of solute charge distributions and solvent density on the solvation structures and dynamics is examined with a diatomic probe solute molecule. It is found that the solvation structure varies dramatically with the solute dipole moment, especially in low-density water, in accord with many previous studies on ion solvation. This electrostrictive effect has important consequences for solvation dynamics. In the case of a nonequilibrium solvent relaxation, if there are sufficiently many water molecules close to the solute at the outset of the relaxation, the solvent response measured as a dynamic Stokes shift is almost completely governed by inertial rotations of these water molecules. By contrast, in the opposite case of a low local solvent density near the solute, not only rotations but also translations of water molecules play an important role in solvent relaxation dynamics. The applicability of a linear response is found to be significantly restricted at low water densities.     

Die Graduiertenschule Solvation Science

The GSS offers its members an excellent infrastructure for their PhD research and a unique, international and interdisciplinary training program in the area of Solvation Science. With 30% international members and a training program in English internationality and intercultural diversity is part of everyday life in the GSS. The about 100 GSS members, working in the fields of chemistry, physics, biology and engineering, discuss their work during regular events and workshops and thereby learn to think interdisciplinary from the beginning of their PhD thesis.     

Solvation of tetraphenylphosphonium dicyanamide

NMR and IR spectroscopy have been used to study the solvation of the dicyanamide ion in solvents with different chemical natures. The occurrence of two kinds of interaction of the N(CN)₂ ^–ion with the solvents has been established: by means of hydrogen bonds (alcohols, chloroform) and by ion-dipole interaction (aprotic solvents).Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 361–366, May–June, 1988.     

Combined application of pair potentials and the MM2 force field for the modeling of ionophores

Complexes of alkali and alkaline earth cations with organic compounds are modeled by describing ionligand interaction energies with pair potentials and intraligand as well as interligand energies with the MM2 potential. New pair potentials for the interaction of Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺ ions are derived on the basis of 30,000 ab initio interaction energy values with 70 selected model ligand molecules. Various problems of the combination of these two basically different potentials are discussed. An application for the K⁺ complex of 18-crown-6 is presented. For more flexible ligands the introduction of three-body correction terms of the pair potentials seems necessary.     

Multidimensional potentials of mean force from biased experiments along a single coordinate

External biasing forces are often applied to enhance sampling in regions of phase space which would otherwise be rarely observed. While the typical goal of these experiments is to calculate the potential of mean force (PMF) along the biasing coordinate, here I present a method to construct PMFs in multiple dimensions and along arbitary alternative degrees of freedom. A protocol for multidimensional PMF reconstruction from nonequilibrium single-molecule pulling experiments is introduced and tested on a series of two-dimensional potential surfaces with varying levels of correlation. Reconstruction accuracy and convergence from several methods--this new protocol, equilibrium umbrella sampling, and free diffusion--are compared, and nonequilibrium pulling is found to be the most efficient. To facilitate the use of this method, the source code for this analysis is made freely available.     

Balancing local order and long-ranged interactions in the molecular theory of liquid water

A molecular theory of liquid water is identified and studied on the basis of computer simulation of the TIP3P model of liquid water. This theory would be exact for models of liquid water in which the intermolecular interactions vanish outside a finite spatial range, and therefore provides a precise analysis tool for investigating the effects of longer-ranged intermolecular interactions. We show how local order can be introduced through quasichemical theory. Long-ranged interactions are characterized generally by a conditional distribution of binding energies, and this formulation is interpreted as a regularization of the primitive statistical thermodynamic problem. These binding-energy distributions for liquid water are observed to be unimodal. The Gaussian approximation proposed is remarkably successful in predicting the Gibbs free energy and the molar entropy of liquid water, as judged by comparison with numerically exact results. The remaining discrepancies are subtle quantitative problems that do have significant consequences for the thermodynamic properties that distinguish water from many other liquids. The basic subtlety of liquid water is found then in the competition of several effects which must be quantitatively balanced for realistic results.     

Solvation Rule for Solid-Electrolyte Interphase Enabler in Lithium-Metal Batteries

Despite the exceptionally high energy density of lithium metal anodes, the practical application of lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) is still impeded by the instability of the interphase between the lithium metal and the electrolyte. To formulate a functional electrolyte system that can stabilize the lithium-metal anode, the solvation behavior of the solvent molecules must be understood because the electrochemical properties of a solvent can be heavily influenced by its solvation status. We unambiguously demonstrated the solvation rule for the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) enabler in an electrolyte system. In this study, fluoroethylene carbonate was used as the SEI enabler due to its ability to form a robust SEI on the lithium metal surface, allowing relatively stable LMB cycling. The results revealed that the solvation number of fluoroethylene carbonate must be ≥1 to ensure the formation of a stable SEI in which the sacrificial reduction of the SEI enabler subsequently leads to the stable cycling of LMBs.     

极性敏感的BDP分子溶剂化效应的光谱性质

合成了具有分子内电荷转移(ICT)性质的三重态光敏剂分子BDP,研究了其稳态吸收光谱、荧光光谱、荧光寿命、飞秒/纳秒瞬态吸收光谱及诱导产生单线态氧的能力等性质,发现强极性溶剂对BDP分子的溶剂化效应降低了其ICT态和第一激发三重态(T1态)的能量,从而降低了BDP分子单线态氧的产量.