Influence of dispersive long-range interactions on properties of vapour–liquid equilibria and interfaces of binary Lennard-Jones mixtures

The influence of dispersive long-range interactions on properties of vapour–liquid equilibria and interfaces of six binary Lennard-Jones (LJ) mixtures was studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and density gradient theory (DGT). The mixtures were investigated at a constant temperature T, at which the low-boiling component, which is the same in all mixtures, is subcritical. Two different high-boiling components were considered: one is subcritical, the other is supercritical at T. Furthermore, the unlike dispersive interaction was varied such that mixtures with three different types of phase behaviour were obtained: ideal, low-boiling azeotrope, and high-boiling azeotrope. In a first series of simulations, the full LJ potential was used to describe these mixtures. To assess the influence of the long-range interactions, these results were compared with simulations carried out with the LJ truncated and shifted (LJTS) potential applying the corresponding states principle. The dispersive long-range interactions have a significant influence on the surface tension and the interfacial thickness of the studied mixtures, whereas the relative adsorption and the enrichment are hardly affected. Furthermore, the influence of the long-range interactions on Henry's law constants and the phase envelopes of the vapour–liquid equilibrium was investigated. The long-range interactions have practically no influence on the composition dependency of the investigated mixture properties.     

The influence of random changes in the adsorbing potential on phase transitions in a Lennard-Jones fluid confined to energetically heterogeneous slit-like pores

A density functional approach is used to study the adsorption and phase behaviour of a Lennard-Jones (LJ) fluid in slit-like pores with energetically heterogeneous walls, investigating how the randomly varying part of the fluid-solid potential imposed on a periodic ‘back-ground’ potential modifies the phase behaviour of the confined fluid. Non-local density functional theory is employed to describe the system. To study the system with a random external field, the method used is based on investigations of several replicas of the system and on averaging the final thermodynamic results over the replicas.     

Insights into Associating Fluid Properties and Microstructure from Classical Density Functional Theory

Self-assembly, important in industrial and biological processes, is governed not only by molecular size and shape, but also by hydrogen bonding forces and hydrophobicities, both of which have important temperature-dependent consequences. Recent advances in statistical mechanics enable the study of these processes at the molecular level. We discuss one such approach based on classical density functional theory. The theory, based on extensions and simplifications of Wertheim’s theory for associating molecules, is applicable to study the behavior of water at hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces and supramolecular assembly based on intermolecular association of polyatomic molecules. Insights into the theory and into the physics of associating molecules are discussed.     

Adsorption isotherm of a Lennard-Jones nitrogen in a carbon slitlike pore

A density functional perturbation approximation based both on second-order perturbation theory and on the pore average density has been proposed to study the adsorption hysteresis of nitrogen in a carbon slit pore. The main advantage of the present approximation is that it is computationally much simpler than the original density functional approximation based on the second-order perturbation theory of liquids, and can be applied to several model fluids confined in a strong external field in order to study their structural and thermodynamic properties. The calculated adsorption hysteresis for the confined Lennard-Jones nitrogen is in very good agreement with computer simulation, even if its accuracy slightly deteriorates for the desorption branch. The calculated equilibrium particle density distributions also compare well with computer simulations, and are better than those of a density functional theory based on the so-called mean-field approximation.     

Vibrational analysis of L-serine using the density functional theory

In this paper, we present a computational study of L-serine using ab initio molecular dynamics simulation based on density functional theory (DFT) within the ultrasoft pseudopotentials and generalized-gradient approximation. Taking into account the intermolecular interactions, we can indeed simulate the features of the experimental results very well for L-serine zwitterions in its solid state. The vibrational spectrum of L-serine performed by DFT was in excellent agreement with our previous inelastic incoherent neutron scattering spectra measured at 20K for L-serine in the 10--200meV region on HET spectrometers at ISIS, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.     

Dimer-anticorrelation-induced stabilization of adsorbate clustering on the Si100-(2 x 1) surface

It is well established that absorbate-absorbate interactions play a key role in determining the distribution of adsorbates on surfaces. In cases where these interactions are repulsive adsorbates frequently arrange so as to minimize these unfavorable interactions. This simple picture, however, neglects the influence of adsorption on the properties on the underlying substrate. Here, using STM, we show that on Si(100) many intrinsically repulsive adsorbates cluster to form surface patches even at low surface coverages. With the aid of density functional theory calculations and Monte Carlo simulations, we show that patch formation is an intrinsic property of the Si(100) surface that is driven by the energy lowering associated with the formation of extended regions of bare dimers. The enhanced attraction between anticorrelated tilted bare dimers is sufficient to offset the repulsions between adsorbates.     

Fullerene-C60 and crown ether doped on C60 sensors for high sensitive detection of alkali and alkaline earth cations

Fullerenes are effective acceptor components with high electron affinity for charge transfer. The significant influences of chemical adsorption of the cations on the electrical sensitivity of pristine C₆₀ and 15-(C₂H₄O)₅/C₆₀ nanocages could be the basis of new generation of electronic sensor design. The density functional theory calculation for alkali and alkaline earth cations detection by pristine C₆₀ and 15-(C₂H₄O)₅/C₆₀ nanocages are considered at B3LYP level of theory with 6–31 G(d) basis set. The quantum theory of atoms in molecules analysis have been performed to understand the nature of intermolecular interactions between the cations and nanocages. Also, the natural bond orbital analysis have been performed to assess the intermolecular interactions in detail. Furthermore, the frontier molecular orbital, energy gap, work function, electronegativity, number of transferred electron (∆N), dipole moment as well as the related chemical hardness and softness are investigated and calculated in this study. The results show that the adsorption of cations (M=Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺) are exothermic and the binding energy in pristine C₆₀ nanocage and 15-(C₂H₄O)₅/C₆₀ increases with respect to the cations charge. The results also denote a decrease in the energy gap and an increase in the electrical conductivity upon the adsorption process. In order to validate the obtained results, the density of state calculations are employed and presented in the end as well.     

Density functional theory for polyelectrolytes near oppositely charged surfaces

We report a nonlocal density functional theory of polyelectrolyte solutions that faithfully accounts for both short- and long-range correlations neglected in a typical mean-field method. It is shown that for systems with strong electrostatic interactions, the long-range correlations are subdued by direct Coulomb attractions, thereby manifesting strong local excluded-volume effects. The theory has also been used to describe the influence of the polyion chain length and small ion valence on charge inversion due to the adsorption of polyelectrolytes at an oppositely charged surface.     

Amino acid adsorption on single-walled carbon nanotubes

We investigate and discuss the adsorption of a few amino acids on (3,3) carbon nanotubes and on graphite sheets through calculations within density functional theory. Results show weak binding of the biomolecules on both substrates, but through generally favourable adsorption pathways. Zwitterion adsorption through the charged amine and carboxylate groups are bound stronger to the nanotube surface in comparison to their nonionic counterparts, as well as on histidine, phenylalanine, and cysteine side chain groups fixed in specific orientations. Binding strengths on graphite suggest dissimilar trends for amino acid interactions with increasing nanotube diameter.     

Chiral recognition of organic molecules by atomic kinks on surfaces

Two distinct non-mirror-symmetric conformations of D- and L-cysteine were found after adsorption on Au(17 11 9)S. This demonstrates chiral heterorecognition, i.e., enantioselectivity of S kinks on vicinal Au(111). The structures as determined by angle scanned x-ray photoelectron diffraction agree well with those from density functional theory calculations. The calculations predict adsorption energies of approximately 2 eV where D-cysteine binds 140 meV stronger than L-cysteine. The classical three point contact model for molecular recognition fails to explain these findings.     

Vibrational and electronic spectral analysis of 2,3-pyrazinedicarboxylic acid: A combined experimental and theoretical study

Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectra of 2,3-pyrazinedicarboxylic acid were recorded and analyzed using density functional theory. The complete assignments of the anharmonic vibrational modes have been performed based on potential energy distribution. The anharmonic frequencies were computed using vibrational second-order perturbation theory as well as vibrational self-consistent field and correlation corrected vibrational self-consistent field methods. Mode–mode coupling strength is also estimated using two-mode representation of quartic force field approximation. The intra- and intermolecular interactions were also studied in the dimer and trimer forms of the title molecule. The ultraviolet–visible absorption spectra in ethanol, methanol, and acetonitrile solvents were recorded and analyzed using time-dependent density functional theory involving the polarization continuum model. The observed and calculated results are well comparable. Molecular electrostatic potential and the highest occupied and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital analyses are also reported.     

The interaction effects between adsorbed molecules in the Statistical Rate Theory approach to the kinetics of mixed-gas adsorption

Kinetics of adsorption of single gases and their binary mixture on an energetically homogeneous surface are studied theoretically using the Statistical Rate Theory (SRT) of interfacial transport. Additionally, the influence of intermolecular interactions on the rate of adsorption is modeled using the Regular Adsorbed Solution Theory. The theoretical results are classified and assigned to different types of experimental conditions under which the changes of the adsorbate concentration near the adsorbing surface are considerable or they are negligible. Predictions of the theory are verified using adsorption data measured in real systems.     

The aggregation effects on the two-photon absorption properties of para-nitroaniline polymers by hydrogen-bond interactions

This paper has theoretically designed a series of aggregate polymers on the basis of several para-nitroaniline monomers by hydrogen-bond interactions. At the level of time-dependent hybrid density functional theory, it has optimized their geometrical structures and studied their two-photon absorption (TPA) properties by using analytical response theory. The calculated results exhibit that the aggregation effects not only bring out the considerable red shift of the excited energies but also greatly enhance the TPA intensities of the aggregate polymers in comparison with the para-nitroaniline monomer. The aggregate configurations also have an important influence on the TPA abilities of the polymers; the trimer has the largest TPA cross section. The electron transitions between the molecular orbits involving the strong TPA excitations of the trimer are depicted to illuminate the relationship between the intermolecular charge transfer and the TPA property.     

Geometrical,energetic and electronic properties of Au_n-(C_3H_6O)_m complexes(n = 3,5,m≤n):A density functional theory study

<正>The interactions of acetone molecules with clusters of AU_3 and Au_5 are investigated by using a density functional theory(DFT) within a generalized gradient approximation(GGA).The geometries,adsorption energies and deformation electron density distributions are used to analyse these interactions.The present calculations show that more than one acetone molecule can be adsorbed onto small gold clusters,and this adsorption is different from that of single molecule absorption.The coordination number of the adsorption site on the gold cluster is the dominant factor responsible for the strength of the interactions.The effects of the Au-O bond lengths in the complexes on adsorption energies between Au clusters and acetone molecules are also examined.     

Ne-CH4分子间相互作用势的局域密度近似计算

利用基于密度泛函理论框架下的局域密度近似方法对Ne-CH4分子间的相互作用势进行了计算. 发现: 当Ne原子和CH4分子之间的距离约为5.8 a.u.时, 计算的势能曲线存在最小值, 对应的势阱深度约为0.053 eV. 计算结果与实验值符合较好.     

吸附分子间通过底物的作用能的密度泛函理论计算

尝试用密度泛函理论B3LYP方法,计算研究了Ag(111)面上烷烃硫醇自组织单分子层中分子间通过底物的作用能(间接作用能)的大小,揭示了它与单体吸附能绝对值的正比关系,阐明了其物理本质．DFT的计算结果与以前提出的间接作用能的半经验表达式定性一致．     

Analysis of free energy functional density expansion theories

Density expansion theories are often used, within the density functional formalism, to approximate the Helmholtz free-energy functional of simple classical fluids. An overview of the theoretical framework of density expansion theories is presented. Several density functional theories that employ truncated density expansions are then analysed with attention focused on their thermodynamic properties. It is found that, of these theories, only the commonly used mean-field theory satisfies the Gibbs adsorption equation; the inconsistencies within the other theories arise from truncation of the density expansion without appropriate modification of the expansion coefficients. Other repercussions of truncating the density expansion are discussed.     

The model of the hysteresis for materials in which depending on composition the transition from relaxor to ferroelectric properties take place

We study the question about the continuous transition from relaxor to normal ferroelectric state, depending on the composition and the influence of external electric field. In this paper we present the main assumptions of the model of dielectric hysteresis for such materials. The model is based on the elements of classical thermodynamic theory, mainly on the assumption that the density of free energy g can be developed into terms with respect to polarization. However unlike LGD theory we assume that all parameters of development are dependent on the temperature. The average spontaneus polarization is obtained as a result of integrating dipole moments which probabilities are different.