Proton ordering in cubic ice and hexagonal ice; a potential new ice phase--XIc

Ordinary water ice forms under ambient conditions and has two polytypes, hexagonal ice (Ih) and cubic ice (Ic). From a careful comparison of proton ordering arrangements in Ih and Ic using periodic density functional theory (DFT) and diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) approaches, we find that the most stable arrangement of water molecules in cubic ice is isoenergetic with that of the proton ordered form of hexagonal ice (known as ice XI). We denote this potential new polytype of ice XI as XIc and discuss a possible route for preparing ice XIc.     

Topological defects and bulk melting of hexagonal ice

We use classical molecular dynamics combined with the recently developed metadynamics method [Laio, A.; Parrinello, M. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2002, 99, 20] to study the process of bulk melting in hexagonal ice. Our simulations show that bulk melting is mediated by the formation of topological defects which preserve the coordination of the tetrahedral network. Such defects cluster to form a defective region involving about 50 molecules with a surprisingly long lifetime. The subsequent formation of coordination defects triggers the transition to the liquid state.     

Melting points of lanthanide trichlorides

The melting temperatures and absolute values of melting enthalpies of lanthanide trichlorides decrease from LaCl₃to TbCl₃and then increase to LuCl₃. The preceding decrease cannot be explained by the lattice energies of the trichlorides, since they increase continuously from the lanthanum to the lutetium compounds. However, it may be attributed to the structural features of the liquid state. The liquids near the melting points consist of clusters of complex units, which become larger with decreasing radii of the metal ions. To prove this assumption additional quantitative investigations are necessary.     

Melting and thermal decompositions of solids

This analysis of interface phenomena considers the alternative processes that may result from heating a crystal, particularly including thermal decomposition, involving chemical reactions, and melting, involving loss of long-range structural order. Such comparisons are expected to provide insights into the factors that determine and control the different types of thermal changes of solids. The survey also critically reviews some theoretical concepts that are currently used to describe solid-state thermal reactions and which provides relevant background information to models used in a recently proposed theory of melting. Probable reasons for the current lack of progress in characterizing the factors that control chemical changes and mechanisms of thermal reactions in solids are also discussed. It is concluded that some aspects of the macro properties of reaction interfaces in crystal reactions have been adequately described, including geometric representations of interface advance during nucleation and growth processes. In contrast, relatively very little is known about the detailed (micro) processes occurring within these active, advancing interfacial zones: reactant/product contacts during chemical reactions and crystal/melt contacts during fusion. From the patterns of behaviour distinguished, a correlation scheme, based on relative stabilities of crystal structures and components therein, is proposed, which accounts for the four principal types of thermal changes that occur on heating solids: sublimation, decomposition, crystallographic transformation or melting. Identifications of the reasons for these different consequences of heating are expected to contribute towards increasing our understanding of each of the individual processes mentioned and to advance theory of the thermal chemistry of solids, currently enjoying a prolonged quiescent phase.     

Excess partial molar volumes and thermal expansivities in the water-rich region of aqueous 2-butanone

Excess partial molar volumes of 2-butanone V _m ^E (B) and thermal expansivities _p were measured in the water-rich region of aqueous 2-butanone. The composition derivatives of both quantities showed anomalies at about X _B =0.033 (x _B is the mole fraction of B). showed a step anomaly, while exhibited a peak anomaly. The compositions at which these anomalies occurred match those of the step anomalies observed earlier in and in aqueous 2-butanone. These results are discussed in comparison with those obtained previously for aqueous 2-butoxyethanol.Presented at the Symposium, 76^th CSC Congress, Sherbrooke, Quebec, May 30–June 3, 1993, honoring Professor Donald Patterson on the occasion of his 65^th birthday.     

Quantum diffusion of hydrogen and muonium atoms in liquid water and hexagonal ice

We have used the ring polymer molecular dynamics method to study the diffusion of muonium, hydrogen, and deuterium atoms in liquid water and hexagonal ice over a wide temperature range (8-361 K). Quantum effects are found to dramatically reduce the diffusion of muonium in water relative to that predicted by classical simulation. This leads to a simple explanation for the lack of any significant isotope effect in the observed diffusion coefficients of these species in the room temperature liquid. Our results indicate that the mechanism of the diffusion in liquid water is similar to the intercavity hopping mechanism observed in ice, supplemented by the diffusion of the cavities in the liquid. Within the same model, we have also been able to simulate the observed crossover in the c-axis diffusion coefficients of hydrogen and deuterium in hexagonal ice. Finally, we have been able to obtain good agreement with experimental data on the diffusion of muonium in hexagonal ice at 8 K, where the process is entirely quantum mechanical.     

Melting temperature of ice Ih calculated from coexisting solid-liquid phases

We carried out molecular-dynamics simulations by using the two-phase coexistence method with the constant pressure, particle number, and enthalpy ensemble to compute the melting temperature of proton-disordered hexagonal ice I(h) at 1-bar pressure. Four models of water were considered, including the widely used TIP4P [W. L. Jorgensen, J. Chandrasekha, J. D. Madura, R. W. Impey, and M. L. Klein, J. Chem. Phys.79, 926 (1983)] and TIP5P [M. W. Mahoney and W. L. Jorgensen J. Chem. Phys.112, 8910 (2000)] models, as well as recently improved TIP4P and TIP5P models for use with Ewald techniques-the TIP4P-Ew [W. Horn, W. C. Swope, J. W. Pitera, J. C. Madura, T. J. Dick, G. L. Hura, and T. Head-Gordon, J. Chem. Phys.120, 9665 (2004)] and TIP5P-Ew [S. W. Rick, J. Chem. Phys.120, 6085 (2004)] models. The calculated melting temperature at 1 bar is T(m) = 229 +/- 1 K for the TIP4P and T(m) = 272.0 +/- 0.6 K for the TIP5P ice I(h), both are consistent with previous simulations based on free-energy methods. For the TIP4P-Ew and TIP5P-Ew models, the calculated melting temperature is T(m) = 257.0 +/- 1.1 K and T(m) = 253.9 +/- 1.1 K, respectively.     

Melting points of homogeneous random copolymers of ethylene and 1-alkenes

Melting points of copolymers of ethylene and 1-alkenes ranging from 1-butene to 1-octadecene have been determined. The copolymers were prepared by means of a homogeneous Et₃Al₂Cl₃/VOCl₃ initiating system so that in individual samples, comonomer contents do not vary with molecular weight. Evidence is presented for a random distribution of comonomer units in the copolymers. Melting points determined by differential scanning calorimetry are essentially independent of branch length at low comonomer contents. At higher comonomer contents (5–9 mol% 1-alkene), melting points decrease in the order 1-butene > 1-octene > 1-octadecene copolymers. The weight fraction of ethylene sequences drops to less than 60% in copolymers with 1-octadecene of high comonomer content and this results in a reduction in the crystallite thicknesses attained by these copolymers.     

Calculation of the equilibrium configuration and intermolecular frequencies of water dimers and hexagonal ice

The equilibrium structure and vibrational frequencies of the water dimer and hexagonal ice have been calculated using the Hartree-Fock potential of Clementi and coworkers and the correction for dispersion interactions of Kolos and coworkers. This correction term is proven to improve substantially the calculated results in the solid. The results obtained for the dimer were compared to other semiempirical and ab initio calculations and converging trends of the different studies are pointed out. Zero point energy effects were analyzed in hexagonal ice. These effects are shown to have little influence on determining the equilibrium structure of the crystal due to the peculiar behavior of the lattice frequencies as a function of the molar volume.     

Melting points and other properties of ionic liquids,with emphasis on the pressure dependence

The focus of this letter is on melting points (T _m) of ‘green’ ionic liquids, which have values of T _m around room temperature. To aid in their chemical interpretation, we place some emphasis on T _m as a function of pressure p, in cases where such experimental information is available. Finally, some comments are made on the effects of pressure via isothermal compressibility κ _T and the velocity v _s of sound. Some measurements of κ _T and v _s as a function of p are invoked.     

Melting points and enthalpies of fusion of anthracene and its heteroatomic counterparts

Anthracene is a common byproduct of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and other anthropogenic sources. Its heteroatomic counterparts, including 9-bromoanthracene, 1,5-dibromoanthracene, 9,10-dibromoanthracene, 2-chloroanthracene, 9,10-dichloroanthracene, 9-anthraldehyde, 2-anthracenecarboxylic acid, 9-anthracenecarboxylic acid, and anthraquinone, are formed through various mechanistic pathways during the combustion process. We use a differential scanning calorimeter to measure the melting points and enthalpies of fusion of these compounds. As expected, we find no correlation between molecular mass and melting point and enthalpy of fusion—rather the type, number and position of the heteroatoms substituted on the parent molecule all influence its fusion thermodynamics. A wide range of melting points is noted for the same substituents(s) at different carbon positions. This suggests that intermolecular forces, such as hydrogen bonding and steric repulsion, are significantly impacted by the position of the substituents on the linear anthracene parent molecular. In addition, different substituents at the same position further suggest that the electronegativity/polarity of a given atom strongly influences the observed fusion behavior.     

On the Debye-Waller factor of hexagonal ice: a computer simulation study

We investigate by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations the temperature dependence of the Debye-Waller (DW) factor of hexagonal ice with 25 different proton-disordered configurations. Each initial configuration is composed of 288 water molecules with no net dipole moment. The intermolecular interaction of water is described by TIP4P potential. Each production run of the simulation is 15 ns or longer. We observe a change in slope of the DW factor around 200 K, which cannot be explained within the framework of either classical or quantum harmonic approximation. Configurations generated by MD simulations are subjected to the steepest descent energy minimization. Analysis of the local energy minimum structures reveals that water molecules above 200 K jump to other lattice sites via some local energy minimum structures which contain some water molecules sitting on the locations other than the lattice sites. As time evolves, these defect molecules move back and forth to the lattice sites yielding defect-free structures. Those motions are responsible for the unusual increase in the DW factor at high temperatures. In making a transition from an energy-minimum structure to another one, a small number of water molecules are involved in a highly cooperative fashion. The larger DW factor at higher temperature arises from jump-like motions of water molecules among these locally stable configurations which may or may not be a family of the proton-disordered ice forms satisfying the "ice rule".     

An ice phase of lowest thermal conductivity

On pressurizing at temperatures near 130 K, hexagonal and cubic ices transform implosively at 0.8-1 GPa. The phase produced on transformation has the lowest thermal conductivity among the known crystalline ices and its value decreases on increase in temperature. An ice phase of similar thermal conductivity is produced also when high-density amorphous ice kept at 1 GPa transforms on slow heating when the temperature reaches approximately 155 K. These unusual formation conditions, the density and its distinguished thermal conductivity, all indicate that a distinct crystal phase of ice has been produced.     

Temperature dependence of crystal growth of hexagonal ice (I(h))

The transformations between water and ice have many implications across numerous fields of study. A better understanding of this process would benefit many areas of science and technology such as medicine, biology, and atmospheric and material sciences. In the present work the temperature dependence of the rate of growth (melting) of the basal face of hexagonal ice I(h) and the effect of system size are investigated in molecular dynamics simulations. Using an effective pair potential model of water, systems are studied over temperatures ranging from T(M) - 40 to T(M) + 16 K, where T(M) is the melting temperature of the model. It is found that the growth rates reach a maximum value of 0.7 ? ns(-1) (7 cm s(-1)) at about 12 K below the melting temperature. A noticeable effect of the system size on the melting temperature and ice growth rates is observed; it is shown that the size effect arises in smaller systems due to the artificial ordering under periodic conditions. The decrease in melting entropy in the smallest system by 0.4 J (mol K)(-1) relative to the largest system results in an up-shift in the melting temperature by about 2 K. An almost 60% increase in the maximum growth rate is observed for the smallest system.     

Anisotropy in the crystal growth of hexagonal ice, I(h)

Growth of ice crystals has attracted attention because ice and water are ubiquitous in the environment and play critical roles in natural processes. Hexagonal ice, I(h), is the most common form of ice among 15 known crystalline phases of ice. In this work we report the results of an extensive and systematic molecular dynamics study of the temperature dependence of the crystal growth on the three primary crystal faces of hexagonal ice, the basal {0001} face, the prism {1010} face, and the secondary prism {1120} face, utilizing the TIP4P-2005 water model. New insights into the nature of its anisotropic growth are uncovered. It is demonstrated that the ice growth is indeed anisotropic; the growth and melting of the basal face are the slowest of the three faces, its maximum growth rates being 31% and 43% slower, respectively, than those of the prism and the secondary prism faces. It is also shown that application of periodic boundary conditions can lead to varying size effect for different orientations of an ice crystal caused by the anisotropic physical properties of the crystal, and results in measurably different thermodynamic melting temperatures in three systems of similar, yet moderate, size. Evidence obtained here provides the grounds on which to clarify the current understanding of ice growth on the secondary prism face of ice. We also revisit the effect of the integration time step on the crystal growth of ice in a more thorough and systematic way. Careful evaluation demonstrates that increasing the integration time step size measurably affects the free energy of the bulk phases and shifts the temperature dependence of the growth rate curve to lower temperatures by approximately 1 K when the step is changed from 1 fs to 2 fs, and by 3 K when 3 fs steps are used. A thorough investigation of the numerical aspects of the simulations exposes important consequences of the simulation parameter choices upon the delicate dynamic balance that is involved in ice crystal growth.     

Dynamics of TIP5P and TIP4P/ice potentials

The dynamics of a thin film of ice Ih deposited on MgO (001) is studied through molecular dynamics simulations performed with two new potential models of ice. This system is chosen because it is possible to compare the results of the simulations to incoherent neutron quasielastic scattering experiments performed few years ago and to previous molecular dynamics simulations using the TIP4P potential model. The present simulations are performed to determine the evolution of the translational and orientational order parameters of the ice film upon temperature increase in the 250-280 K range. They are also used to calculate the translational and orientational diffusion coefficients of the water molecules in the supported film as a function of the temperature. When using the TIP5P potential, the present results show a better agreement with experimental data than those calculated with the TIP4P potential, especially regarding the temperature above which significant changes are obtained in the dynamics of the water film. Similar conclusions are obtained when using the TIP4P/ice potential, although this latter potential clearly underestimates the translational diffusion coefficients.