CO2 Capture and Release in Amine Solutions: To What Extent Can Molecular Simulations Help Understand the Trends?

Absorption in amine solutions is a well-established advanced technology for CO2 capture. However, the fundamental aspects of the chemical reactions occurring in solution still appear to be unclear. Our previous investigation of aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) and 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol (AMPD), based on ab initio molecular dynamics simulations aided with metadynamics, provided new insights into the reaction mechanisms leading to CO2 capture and release with carbamate formation and dissociation. In particular, the role of water-strongly underestimated in previous computational studies-was established as essential in determining the development of all relevant reactions. In this article, we apply the same simulation protocol to other relevant primary amines, namely, a sterically hindered amine (2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP)) and an aromatic amine (benzylamine (BZA)). We also discuss the case of CO2 capture with the formation of bicarbonate. New information is thus obtained that extends our understanding. However, quantitative predictions obtained using molecular simulations suffer from several methodological problems, and comparison among different chemical species is especially demanding. We clarify these problems further with a discussion of previous attempts to explain the different behaviors of AMP and MEA using other types of models and computations.

How natural materials remove heavy metals from water: mechanistic insights from molecular dynamics simulations.

Water pollution by heavy metals is of increasing concern due to its devastating effects on the environment and on human health. For the removal of heavy metals from water sources, natural materials, such as spent-coffee-grains or orange/banana/chestnut peels, appear to offer a potential cheap alternative to more sophisticated and costly technologies currently in use. However, in order to employ them effectively, it is necessary to gain a deeper understanding - at the molecular level - of the heavy metals-bioorganic-water system and exploit the power of computer simulations. As a step in this direction, we investigate via atomistic simulations the capture of lead ions from water by hemicellulose - the latter being representative of the polysaccharides that are common components of vegetables and fruit peels - as well as the reverse process. A series of independent molecular dynamics simulations, both classical and ab initio, reveals a coherent scenario which is consistent with what one would expect of an efficient capture, i.e. that it be fast and irreversible: (i) binding of the metal ions via adsorption is found to happen spontaneously on both carboxylate and hydroxide functional groups; (ii) in contrast, metal ion desorption, leading to solvation in water, involves sizable free-energy barriers.

CO2 capture in amine solutions: modelling and simulations with non-empirical methods.

Absorption in aqueous amine solutions is the most advanced technology for the capture of CO2, although suffering from drawbacks that do not allow exploitation on large scale. The search for optimum solvents has been pursued with empirical methods and has also motivated a number of computational approaches over the last decade. However, a deeper level of understanding of the relevant chemical reactions in solution is required so as to contribute to this effort. We present here a brief critical overview of the most recent applications of computer simulations using ab initio methods. Comparison of their outcome shows a strong dependence on the structural models employed to represent the molecular systems in solution and on the strategy used to simulate the reactions. In particular, the results of very recent ab initio molecular dynamics augmented with metadynamics are summarized, showing the crucial role of water, which has been so far strongly underestimated both in the calculations and in the interpretation of experimental data. Indications are given for advances in computational approaches that are necessary if meant to contribute to the rational design of new solvents.

Capture and Release of CO2 in Monoethanolamine Aqueous Solutions: New Insights from First-Principles Reaction Dynamics.

Aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) solution is commonly used for post-combustion carbon capture via chemical absorption. Extensive research has been carried out to characterize both uptake and release of carbon dioxide (CO2), with the aim of improving process performance. However, an intensive research is still needed on fundamental aspects of the key chemical reactions, to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the cyclic process at the microscopic level and a quantitative assessment. We present several ab initio simulations of MEA solutions at a concentration of 30 wt %-the current standard in the industry-and study the dynamics of key multistep chemical reactions, using the metadynamics technique. Pathways for the entire cycle are investigated and characterized in terms of related free-energy and enthalpy barriers, and of the accompanying variations in both structural and electronic properties. The results of this study lead us to propose, among competing processes, an unforeseen scenario in which the zwitterion acts as sn intermediate not only of CO2 uptake, in the form of carbamate, but also of its release. Rate-limiting steps are the formation of the zwitterion for the former and MEAH(+) deprotonation for the latter. Water is shown to play a multifaceted role, which is crucial in determining the development and the energetics of each step of the reactions. The level of comprehension here achieved for MEA should help defining a strategy for solvent optimization.

Atom Vacancies on a Carbon Nanotube: To What Extent Can We Simulate their Effects?

Atom vacancies are intrinsic defects of carbon nanotubes. Using a zigzag nanotube as reference, this paper focuses on the comparison of calculations performed within density functional theory and a number of classical force fields widely used for carbon systems. The results refer to single and double vacancies and, in particular, to the induced structural changes, the formation energies, and the energy barriers relative to elementary processes such as reconstruction, migration, and coalescence. Characterization of these processes is remarkably different in the different approaches. These findings are meant to contribute to the construction of DFT-based classical schemes for carbon nanostructures.

DFT-derived reactive potentials for the simulation of activated processes: the case of CdTe and CdTe:S.

We introduce a new ab initio derived reactive potential for the simulation of CdTe within density functional theory (DFT) and apply it to calculate both static and dynamical properties of a number of systems (bulk solid, defective structures, liquid, surfaces) at finite temperature. In particular, we also consider cases with low sulfur concentration (CdTe:S). The analysis of DFT and classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations performed with the same protocol leads to stringent performance tests and to a detailed comparison of the two schemes. Metadynamics techniques are used to empower both Car-Parrinello and classical molecular dynamics for the simulation of activated processes. For the latter, we consider surface reconstruction and sulfur diffusion in the bulk. The same procedures are applied using previously proposed force fields for CdTe and CdTeS materials, thus allowing for a detailed comparison of the various schemes.

Capturing CO2 in Monoethanolamine (MEA) Aqueous Solutions: Fingerprints of Carbamate Formation Assessed with First-Principles Simulations.

Chemical absorption in amine aqueous solutions is a widespread technology for postcombustion carbon capture, and a large effort is ongoing to improve their performance. Characterization of the "reactant" and "product" solutions at the microscopic level is highly desirable for process optimization. Recently X-ray scattering experiments and "in situ" infrared spectroscopy have been applied to this aim, but a complete and convincing interpretation is missing. We present large-scale ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of monoethanolamine solutions at experimental concentration and temperature and analyze how structural and vibrational properties change after carbamate formation. An exhaustive account of the experimental data is obtained. Fingerprints of the reaction products and specific interactions are unravelled. Hydration effects are specific to each component of the solution and are essential for a correct assignment of the experimental data.

Fate of a Graphene Flake: A New Route toward Fullerenes Disclosed with Ab Initio Simulations.

The top-down formation of a fullerene from a graphene flake is investigated via extensive ab initio molecular dynamics simulations in the range 300-3000 K, accelerated by metadynamics. Topological (SPRINT) coordinates are used to ensure a prejudice-free exploration of the free-energy surface and path collective variables to provide reliable free-energy barriers. The low-barrier zipping of the 2D nanoflake into a 3D nanocone is revealed as the early key transformation, mediated by a four-membered ring. Multiple-step pathways lead it toward different but always fully tricoordinated 0D closed cages. This scenario comprises several key chemical reactions characteristic of carbon at the nanoscale, as known from diverse experiments.

Characterizing and Understanding Divalent Adsorbates on Carbon Nanotubes with Ab Initio and Classical Approaches: Size, Chirality, and Coverage Effects.

The study of oxygen chemisorption on single-walled carbon nanotubes generally relies on simple atomistic models and hence hampers the possibility to understand whether nanotube size or adduct concentration have a role in determining the surface-adsorbate interaction. Our large-scale DFT-based simulations show that structural and electronic properties as well as diffusion barriers strongly depend on both nanotube diameter and adsorbate concentration. Our atomistic models cover nanotube of different chirality with diameters from 0.6 to 1.5 nm and oxygen concentration from 0.1 to 1%. In particular, the tendency to cluster increases with concentration and stabilizes ether (ET) groups but affects hopping barriers only to a minor extent. Significant differences with graphene are found, also for 1.5 nm diameter nanotubes. Extension to species isoelectronic to oxygen reveals dissimilarities, and especially for sulfur that tends to form epoxides (EP), to diffuse more easily and to rapidly close the energy gap for increasing concentration. The relative ET-EP stability can be described in terms of the bare-bond curvature, a concentration-dependent chemical descriptor here introduced. Comparison of these DFT calculations-using different exchange-correlation functionals-and our additional investigation with a reactive force-field (ReaxFF) clarifies several similarities but also discrepancies between the predictions of the two schemes.

The Fate of a Zwitterion in Water from ab Initio Molecular Dynamics: Monoethanolamine (MEA)-CO2.

Understanding the fundamental reactions accompanying the capture of carbon dioxide in amine solutions is critical for the design of high-performance solvents and requires an accurate modeling of the solute-solvent interaction. As a first step toward this goal, using ab initio molecular dynamics (Car-Parrinello) simulations, we investigate a zwitterionic carbamate, a species long proposed as intermediate in the formation of a stable carbamate, in a dilute aqueous solution. CO2 release and deprotonation are competitive routes for its dissociation and are both characterized by free-energy barriers of 6-8 kcal/mol. Water molecules play a crucial role in both pathways, resulting in large entropic effects. This is especially true in the case of CO2 release, which is accompanied by a strong reorganization of the solvent beyond the first coordination shell, leading to the formation of a water cage entrapping the solute (hydrophobic effect). Our results contrast with the assumptions of implicit solvent models.

Bridging Static and Dynamical Descriptions of Chemical Reactions: An ab Initio Study of CO2 Interacting with Water Molecules.

Extracting reliable thermochemical parameters from molecular dynamics simulations of chemical reactions, although based on ab initio methods, is generally hampered by difficulties in reproducing the results and controlling the statistical errors. This is a serious drawback with respect to the quantum-chemical description based on potential energy surfaces. This work is an attempt to fill this gap. We apply molecular dynamics, based on density functional theory (DFT) and empowered by path metadynamics (MTD), to simulate the reaction of CO2 with (one, two, and three) water molecules in the gas phase. This study relies on a strategy that ensures a precise control of the accuracy of the reaction coordinates and of the reconstructed free-energy surface on this space, namely, on (i) fully reversible MTD simulations, (ii) a committor probability analysis for the diagnosis of the collective variables, and (iii) a cluster analysis for the characterization of the reconstructed free-energy surfaces. This robust procedure permits a meaningful comparison with more traditional calculations of the potential energy surfaces that we also perform within the same DFT computational scheme. This comparison shows in particular that the reactants and products of systems with only three water molecules can no longer be understood in terms of one structure but must be described as statistical configuration ensembles. Calculations carried out with different prescriptions for the exchange-correlation functionals also allow us to establish their quantitative effect on the activation barriers for the formation and the dissociation of carbonic acid. Their decrease induced by the addition of one water molecule (catalytic effect) is found to be largely independent of the specific functional.

Graph theory meets ab initio molecular dynamics: atomic structures and transformations at the nanoscale.

Social permutation invariant coordinates are introduced describing the bond network around a given atom. They originate from the largest eigenvalue and the corresponding eigenvector of the contact matrix, are invariant under permutation of identical atoms, and bear a clear signature of an order-disorder transition. Once combined with ab initio metadynamics, these coordinates are shown to be a powerful tool for the discovery of low-energy isomers of molecules and nanoclusters as well as for a blind exploration of isomerization, association, and dissociation reactions.

Large-scale simulations of a-Si:H: the origin of midgap states revisited.

Large-scale classical and quantum simulations are used to generate a-Si:H structures. The bond-resolved density of the occupied electron states discloses the nature of microscopic defects responsible for levels in the gap. Highly strained bonds give rise to band tails and midgap states. The latter originate mainly from stretched bonds, in addition to dangling bonds, and can act as hole traps. This study provides strong evidence for photoinduced degradation (Staebler-Wronski effect) driven by strain, thus supporting recent work on a-Si, and sheds light on the role of hydrogen.

Metal-carbon nanotube contacts: the link between Schottky barrier and chemical bonding.

The field effect transistor based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) is a very promising candidate for post-CMOS microelectronics. Transport in the CNT channel is dominated by the Schottky barriers existing at the metal source contacts. The nature of the metal and the geometry of the contact appear to influence strongly the electrical behavior, but the mechanism is still rather obscure. Extensive calculations based on density functional theory performed for both end and side contacts and for two metals of very different nature, namely, Al and Pd, allow us to identify a clear connection between the character of the chemical bonding and the height of the Schottky barrier (SBH). Our results emphasize that a low SBH for hole conduction in a CNT implies that the pi-electron system of the latter is almost exclusively involved in the chemical bonding with the metal atoms at the interface and that the bonding is not too strong so that both orbital hybridization and topology are preserved. This is the case for Pd in both end and side configurations and to a large extent for Al but in the side geometry only. On the other hand, the coupling of the metal states with the sigma-like system or, in other words, the perturbation of the conjugation of the pi-system via sp3 C-hybridization is the mechanism that enhances the SBH. This is especially evident in the end contact with Al. By showing how the chemistry at the interfaces determines the SBH, our findings open the possibility of better controlling and designing "good contacts".

Anomalous behavior of the dielectric constant of hafnium silicates: a first principles study.

We present an extensive ab initio study of the structural and dielectric properties of hafnium silicates Hf(x)Si(1-x)O(2) that accounts for the observed anomalous dependence on composition of the static dielectric constant in the entire x range. The results reveal that this complex behavior reflects that of the structural development with x, from silica to hafnia, and clarify how different growth processes can also lead to scattered sets of data. Several simple models proposed thus far to explain part of the experimental data are shown to be inadequate. It is argued that silicate layers with low hafnium content form at the HfO(2)/Si interface and play a crucial role in preserving high electron mobility in the channel.

Towards a parameter-free characterization of charge transfer via hopping: the case of tris(8-hydroxyquinolato) aluminum.

By using calculations based on density functional theory, we investigate the physical factors determining the elemental charge transfer in Alq3, taken as a prototype of molecular systems in condensed phase. The effect of the environment on the hopping of the charge carrier is evaluated self-consistently in a model in which an Alq3 dimer is embedded in an ensemble of permanent and polarizable dipoles, including orientational disorder and the presence of impurities. The results indicate that the origin of the activation barrier is mainly extrinsic and that the local orientation of the dipole moments plays a major role. The influence of nonadiabaticity is also studied and found to be more important for a hole than for an electron.

Disproving a silicon analog of an alkyne with the aid of topological analyses of the electronic structure and ab initio molecular dynamics calculations.

A silicon compound has recently been synthesized that was claimed to exhibit the first realization of a silicon-silicon triple bond. We debate this classification on the basis of a thorough investigation of the nature of the chemical bond, using the rigorous topological analysis of the electron density as developed in Bader's atoms-in-molecules theory, that of the electron localization function and the related orbital-independent definitions of the bond order. Our results refer both to the ground-state geometry and to nonequilibrium configurations, which are accessed by the system in a room-temperature ab initio molecular dynamics simulation. We also use the reciprocal compliance force constant as an independent chemical descriptor. All the above procedures are in agreement and do not support the classification of the silicon-silicon central bond as triple. The characterization which consistently emerges from the present study is one in which two electron pairs participate in the bonding and the other pair belongs mainly to nonbonding regions.

Ab initio design of high-k dielectrics: La(x)Y1-xAlO3.

We use calculations based on density-functional theory in the virtual crystal approximation for the design of high-k dielectrics, which could offer an alternative to silicon dioxide in complementary metal-oxide semiconductor devices. We show that aluminates LaxY1-xAlO3 alloys derived by mixing aluminum oxide with lanthanum and yttrium oxides have unique physical attributes for a possible application as gate dielectrics when stabilized in the rhombohedral perovskite structure, and which are lost in the orthorhombic modification. Stability arguments locate this interesting composition range as 0.2

Broken inter-C60 bonds as the cause of magnetism in polymeric C60: a density functional study using C60 dimers.

Bond breaking in C60-C60 dimeric units is believed to play an important role in the onset of magnetism in 2D polymeric C60. On the basis of density-functional theory, the calculations we present here provide further insight into this mechanism through a quantitative characterization of the bond-breaking processes in the isolated dumbbell-shaped C60 dimer. In particular, the analysis of the calculated potential energy surfaces for the low-lying singlet and triplet states identifies and locates the S0-T2 crossing point, which is crucial for the transition to a magnetic state to take place under thermal conditions. These results also suggest a possible new approach to the production of magnetic polymeric C60.