Self-diffusivities as a function of temperature were computed for 29 different ionic liquids (ILs) covering a wide variety of cation and anion classes. Ideal ionic conductivities (σNE) were estimated ...from the self-diffusivities via the Nernst–Einstein relation. The ion pair (IP) lifetimes (τIP) and ion cage (IC) lifetimes (τIC) of each IL were also computed. A linear relationship between the calculated self-diffusivities and the inverse of IP or IC lifetimes was observed. A similar inverse linear relationship was also observed for ideal ionic conductivity. These relationships were found to be independent of temperature and the nature of the IL. These observations connect macroscopic dynamic properties with local atomic-level motions and strongly suggest that the dynamics of ILs are governed by a universal IP or IC forming and breaking mechanism. Thus, in order to design an ionic liquid with enhanced dynamics, one should consider how to minimize IP or IC lifetimes.
Equilibrium molecular dynamics is often used in conjunction with a Green–Kubo integral of the pressure tensor autocorrelation function to compute the shear viscosity of fluids. This approach is ...computationally expensive and is subject to a large amount of variability because the plateau region of the Green–Kubo integral is difficult to identify unambiguously. Here, we propose a time decomposition approach for computing the shear viscosity using the Green–Kubo formalism. Instead of one long trajectory, multiple independent trajectories are run and the Green–Kubo relation is applied to each trajectory. The averaged running integral as a function of time is fit to a double-exponential function with a weighting function derived from the standard deviation of the running integrals. Such a weighting function minimizes the uncertainty of the estimated shear viscosity and provides an objective means of estimating the viscosity. While the formal Green–Kubo integral requires an integration to infinite time, we suggest an integration cutoff time t cut, which can be determined by the relative values of the running integral and the corresponding standard deviation. This approach for computing the shear viscosity can be easily automated and used in computational screening studies where human judgment and intervention in the data analysis are impractical. The method has been applied to the calculation of the shear viscosity of a relatively low-viscosity liquid, ethanol, and relatively high-viscosity ionic liquid, 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane-sulfonyl)imide (BMIMTf2N), over a range of temperatures. These test cases show that the method is robust and yields reproducible and reliable shear viscosity values.
The atomic charges for two ionic liquids (ILs), 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIMPF6) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (EMIMPF6), were derived from periodic ...crystal phase calculations with density functional theory (DFT) and plane wave basis sets (denoted as “AIMD-c charge”). For both ILs, the total charge was found to be ±0.8 e for the cation and anion, respectively, due to the charge transfer between ions and polarization caused by the environment. These atomic charges were used in a force field developed within the general Amber force field framework. Using this force field, static, dynamic, and thermodynamic properties were computed for the two ILs using molecular dynamics simulation. The results were compared against results obtained using the same Amber force field but four different sets of partial charges, denoted as full charge, scaled charge, AIMD-l charge, and AIMD-b charge, respectively. The full charge was derived from quantum chemistry calculation of isolated ions in a vacuum and resulted in a total charge of unity on each ion. The scaled charge was obtained by uniformly scaling the full charge by 0.8. AIMD-l and AIMD-b charges were derived from liquid phase ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The scaled charges have the same total charge on the ions as the AIMD-c charge but different distributions. It was found that simulation results not only depend on the total charge of each ion, but they are also sensitive to the charge distribution within an ion, especially for dynamic and thermodynamic properties. Overall, for the two ILs under study, the AIMD-c charge was found to predict experimental results better than the other four sets of charges, indicating that fitting charges from crystal phase DFT calculations, instead of extensive sampling of the liquid phase configurations, is a simple and reliable way to derive atomic charges for condensed phase ionic liquid simulations.
The transport properties of water-in-salt lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) aqueous electrolytes were studied using classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. At high salt ...concentrations of 20 m, the calculated viscosity, self-diffusion coefficients, ionic conductivity, the inverse Haven ratio, and the Li+ apparent transference number all agree with previous experimental results quantitatively. Furthermore, analyses show that the high apparent transference number for Li+ is due to the fact that the dynamics of TFSI– decrease more quickly with increasing salt concentration than the dynamics of Li+ ions due to the formation of a TFSI– network. In addition, it was shown that the conduction of Li+ ions through the highly concentrated electrolyte occurs mainly via a hopping mechanism instead of a vehicular mechanism hypothesized in earlier studies of this system.
Atomistic simulations have emerged in recent years as an important compliment to experiment for understanding how the properties of ionic liquids are controlled by their underlying chemical ...structure. The ability to obtain reliable thermodynamic and transport properties from a simulation depends both on the quality of the force field and on the use of a proper simulation method. Properties such as densities and heat capacities may be obtained readily using standard techniques. With more effort and advanced simulation methods, solid–liquid and vapor–liquid phase equilibria may also be determined. Transport properties can also be computed, but the notoriously slow dynamics of many ionic liquid systems means that great care must be taken to ensure that the simulations are accurate.
Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are an emerging class of mixtures characterized by significant depressions in melting points compared to those of the neat constituent components. These materials are ...promising for applications as inexpensive “designer” solvents exhibiting a host of tunable physicochemical properties. A detailed review of the current literature reveals the lack of predictive understanding of the microscopic mechanisms that govern the structure–property relationships in this class of solvents. Complex hydrogen bonding is postulated as the root cause of their melting point depressions and physicochemical properties; to understand these hydrogen bonded networks, it is imperative to study these systems as dynamic entities using both simulations and experiments. This review emphasizes recent research efforts in order to elucidate the next steps needed to develop a fundamental framework needed for a deeper understanding of DESs. It covers recent developments in DES research, frames outstanding scientific questions, and identifies promising research thrusts aligned with the advancement of the field toward predictive models and fundamental understanding of these solvents.
Ionic liquids (ILs) have gained considerable attention in recent years as CO2-reactive solvents that could be used to improve the economic efficiency of industrial-scale CO2 separations. Researchers ...have demonstrated that IL physical and chemical properties can be optimized for a given application through chemical functionalization of both cations and anions. The tunability of ILs presents both a great potential and a significant challenge due to the complex chemistries and the many ways in which ILs can be made to react with CO2. However, computer simulations have demonstrated great potential in understanding the behavior of ILs from the underlying molecular interactions. In the present review, we examine how computer simulations have aided in the design of ILs that chemically bind CO2. We present the historical development of CO2-reactive ILs while highlighting the insights provided by molecular modeling which aided in understanding IL behavior to further experimental findings. We also provide a brief discussion of simulations focused on ionic liquids that physically dissolve CO2. We conclude with a discussion of areas where simulations can yet be used to advance the current understanding of these complex systems and an outlook on the use of computer simulations in the design of optimal ILs for CO2 separations.
Ionic liquids (ILs) have been used in many applications, including gas separations, electrochemistry, lubrication, and catalysis. Understanding how the different properties of ILs are related to ...their chemical structure and composition is crucial for these applications. Experimental investigations often provide limited insights and can be tedious in exploring a range of state points. Therefore, molecular simulations have emerged as a powerful tool that not only offers a microscopic perspective but also enables rapid screening and prediction of physical properties. The accuracy of these predictions, however, depends on the quality of the intermolecular potentials (force fields) used. The widely used classical fixed charge models, such as GAFF, OPLS, and CL&P, are popular due to their simplicity and computational efficiency. However, it has been shown that the use of integer charges with these classical models leads to sluggish dynamics. The use of scaled charge models can improve the dynamics, but these mean-field approaches are unable to account for polarization effects explicitly. Several different approaches have been proposed to include polarizability in IL force fields. In this work, we follow the protocol of the CL&Pol model to develop a Drude oscillator model based on the GAFF force field (Goloviznina, K., et al. J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2019, 15, 5858). We compare the performance of the model for eight imidazolium- and pyrrolidinium-based ILs against that of other models. We find that the new model provides reasonable estimations of density, self-diffusivity, and structural properties for these ILs and suggests a relatively simple way of extending the general GAFF model to more ILs.
The application of ionic liquids (ILs) in many industrially relevant processes provides an urgent need to better understand their molecular interactions with biological systems. A detailed ...understanding of the cytotoxicity mechanism of ILs can be helpful in facilitating the molecular design of nontoxic ILs. Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we investigate the effects of imidazolium-based ILs on several lipid bilayer morphologies. Our results demonstrate that the asymmetric insertion of IL cations into one side of a lipid bilayer leaflet enhances the leaflet strain, which upon reaching a critical value triggers a morphological disruption in the bilayer. Consistently, the bending modulus of the bilayer is reduced by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude relative to that of an IL-free planar bilayer prior to the disruption event. Our results suggest that ILs that can easily insert into the lipid bilayer without diffusing across or inducing lipid flip-flop can be more disruptive to a lipid biomembrane.
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