Simulations of ionic liquids, solutions, and surfaces

Dispersion interactions in room-temperature ionic liquids: results from a non-empirical density functional

The role of dispersion or van de Waals (VDW) interactions in imidazolium-based room-temperature ionic liquids is studied within the framework of density functional theory, using a recently developed non-empirical functional [M. Dion, H. Rydberg, E. Schröder, D. C. Langreth, and B. I. Lundqvist, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 246401 (2004)], as efficiently implemented in the SIESTA code [G. Román-Pérez and J. M. Soler, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 096102 (2009)]. We present results for the equilibrium structure and lattice parameters of several crystalline phases, finding a general improvement with respect to both the local density (LDA) and the generalized gradient approximations (GGA). Similar to other systems characterized by VDW bonding, such as rare gas and benzene dimers as well as solid argon, equilibrium distances and volumes are consistently overestimated by ≈7%, compared to -11% within LDA and 11% within GGA. The intramolecular geometries are retained, while the intermolecular distances and orientations are significantly improved relative to LDA and GGA. The quality is superior to that achieved with tailor-made empirical VDW corrections ad hoc [M. G. Del Pópolo, C. Pinilla, and P. Ballone, J. Chem. Phys. 126, 144705 (2007)]. We also analyse the performance of an optimized version of this non-empirical functional, where the screening properties of the exchange have been tuned to reproduce high-level quantum chemical calculations [J. Klimes, D. Bowler, and A. Michaelides, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 22, 074203 (2010)]. The results for solids are even better with volumes and geometries reproduced within 2% of experimental data. We provide some insight into the issue of polymorphism of [bmim][Cl] crystals, and we present results for the geometry and energetics of [bmim][Tf] and [mmim][Cl] neutral and charged clusters, which validate the use of empirical force fields.

Molecular dynamics simulations of nanoparticle self-assembly at ionic liquid-water and ionic liquid-oil interfaces

We have studied the self-assembly of hydrophobic nanoparticles at ionic liquid (IL)-water and IL-oil (hexane) interfaces using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. For the 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF(6)])/water system, the nanoparticles rapidly approached the IL-water interface and equilibrated more into the IL phase although they were initially in the water phase. In contrast, when the nanoparticles were dispersed in the hexane phase, they slowly approached the IL-hexane interface but remained primarily in the hexane phase. Consequently, the IL-hexane interface was rather undisturbed by the nanoparticles whereas the IL-water interface changed significantly in width and morphology to accommodate the presence of the nanoparticles. The equilibrium positions of the nanoparticles were also supported and explained by potential of mean force (PMF) calculations. Interesting ordering and charge distributions were observed at the IL-liquid interfaces. At the IL-hexane interface, the [BMIM] cations preferentially oriented themselves so that they were immersed more in the hexane phase and packed efficiently to reduce steric hindrance. The ordering likely contributed to a heightened IL density and a slightly positive charge at the IL-hexane interface. In contrast, the cations at the IL-water interface were oriented isotropically unless in the presence of nanoparticles, where the cations aligned across the nanoparticle surfaces.

Self-assembly in the electrical double layer of ionic liquids

We have studied the structure of two ionic liquids confined between negatively charged mica sheets. Both liquids exhibit interfacial layering, however the repeat distance is dramatically different for the two liquids. Our results suggest a transition from alternating cation-anion monolayers to tail-to-tail cation bilayers when the length of the cation hydrocarbon chain is increased.

Molecular dynamics simulation of the interfacial structure of [C(n)mim][PF6] adsorbed on a graphite surface: effects of temperature and alkyl chain length

The structures and diffusion behaviors of a series of ionic liquids [C(n)mim][PF(6)] (n = 1, 4, 8 and 12) on a graphite surface have been investigated by means of molecular dynamics simulation. It was found that three or four ordering layers of ionic liquids were formed near the graphite surface, and this layering structure was stable over the temperature range investigated. At the liquid/vacuum interface, the ionic liquid with a butyl chain had a monolayer ordering surface, while [C(8)mim][PF(6)] and [C(12)mim][PF(6)] exhibited a bilayer ordering with a polar domain sandwiched between two orientational nonpolar domains. More impressively, the simulated results showed that for the ionic liquids with alkyl chains longer than C(4), the adjacent alkyl chains in the whole film tended to be parallel to each other, with the imidazolium rings packed closely together. This indicated that the ionic liquids have a better regulated short-range structure than was previously expected. It was also found that both in the bottom layer and in the bulk region, the diffusion of the alkyl chains was much faster than that of the polar groups. However, as the alkyl chain length increased, the charge delocalization in the cation and the enhanced van der Waals interaction between the nonpolar groups contributed by reducing this difference in the diffusivity of major groups.

Liquid/solid interface of ultrathin ionic liquid films: [C1C1Im][Tf2N] and [C8C1Im][Tf2N] on Au(111)

Ultrathin films of two imidazolium-based ionic liquids (IL), [C(1)C(1)Im][Tf(2)N] (= 1,3-dimethylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl)imide) and [C(8)C(1)Im][Tf(2)N] (= 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl)imide) were prepared on a Au(111) single-crystal surface by physical vapor deposition in ultrahigh vacuum. The adsorption behavior, orientation, and growth were monitored via angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS). Coverage-dependent chemical shifts of the IL-derived core levels indicate that for both ILs the first layer is formed from anions and cations directly in contact with the Au surface in a checkerboard arrangement and that for [C(8)C(1)Im][Tf(2)N] a reorientation of the alkyl chain with increasing coverage is found. For both ILs, geometry models of the first adsorption layer are proposed. For higher coverages, both ILs grow in a layer-by-layer fashion up to thicknesses of at least 9 nm (>10 ML). Moreover, beam damage effects are discussed, which are mainly related to the decomposition of [Tf(2)N](-) anions directly adsorbed at the gold surface.

Towards large-scale, fully ab initio calculations of ionic liquids

Ionic liquids have attracted a substantial amount of interest as replacement of traditional electrolytes in high efficiency electrochemical devices for generation and storage of energy due to their superior physical and chemical properties, especially low volatility and high electrochemical stability. For enhanced performance of the electrochemical devices ionic liquids are required to be highly conductive and low viscous. Long-range Coulomb and short-range dispersion interactions between ions affect physical and chemical properties of ionic liquids in a very complex way, thus preventing direct correlations to the chemical structure. Considering a vast combination of available cations and anions that can be used to synthesize ionic liquids, development of predictive theoretical approaches that allow for accurate tailoring of their physical properties has become crucial to further enhance the performance of electrochemical devices such as lithium batteries, fuel and solar cells. This perspective article gives a thorough overview of current theoretical approaches applied for studying thermodynamic (melting point and enthalpy of vapourisation) and transport (conductivity and viscosity) properties of ionic liquids, emphasizing their reliability and limitations. Strategies for improving predictive power and versatility of existing theoretical approaches are also outlined.

Hydrogenation-induced surface polarity recognition and proton memory behavior at protic-ionic-liquid/oxide electric-double-layer interfaces

The electric-double-layer (EDL) formed at liquid/solid interfaces provides a broad and interdisciplinary attraction in terms of electrochemistry, photochemistry, catalysts, energy storage, and electronics. Especially in recent years, much effort has been devoted to the fundamental understanding and practical applications of transistor configurations with EDLs because of their ability for high-density charge accumulation. However, to exploit additional new functionalities of such an emerging interface is not only of great importance but also a huge challenge. Here, we demonstrate that, by introducing protic ionic liquid (PIL) as the gate dielectric for ZnO EDL transistors (EDLTs), small and chemically active ions, such as protons and hydroxyls, can serve as an adsorption medium to extend the interfacial functionalities of EDLTs. By selectively driving the H(+) or OH(-) groups onto ZnO channel surfaces with an electric field, the charged adsorbates interact with surface atoms in different adsorption mechanisms, showing remarkable variations in electron transport and providing a possibility for the recognition of surface polarity. Most significantly, the large hysteresis in the transfer characteristics of PIL-EDLTs makes the device available and promising for nonvolatile proton memory devices via surface hydrogenation and dehydrogenation processes. Such a finding provides us with new opportunities to understand liquid/solid heterogeneous interface phenomena and to extend the practical functions of EDLs through controllable interfacial interaction.

A wave-function based approach for polarizable charge model: Systematic comparison of polarization effects on protic, aprotic, and ionic liquids

We first describe a wave-function based formalism of polarizable charge model by starting from the Hartree product ansatz for the total wave function and making the second-order expansion of individual molecular energies with the use of partial charge operators. The resulting model is shown to be formally equivalent to the charge response kernel model that starts from the linear-response approximation to partial charges, and also closely related to a family of fluctuating charge models that are based on the electronegativity equalization principle. We then apply the above model to a systematic comparison of polarization effects on qualitatively different liquids, namely, protic solvents (water and methanol), an aprotic polar solvent (acetonitrile), and imidazolium-based ionic liquids. Electronic polarization is known to decelerate molecular motions in conventional solvents while it accelerates them in ionic liquids. To obtain more insights into these phenomena, we consider an effective decomposition of total polarization energy into molecular contributions, and show that their statistical distribution is well-correlated with the acceleration/deceleration of molecular motions. In addition, we perform effective nonpolarizable simulations based on mean polarized charges, and compare them with fully polarizable simulations. The result shows that the former can reproduce structural properties of conventional solvents rather accurately, while they fail qualitatively to reproduce acceleration of molecular motions in ionic liquids.