Water Diffusion Proceeds via a Hydrogen-Bond Jump Exchange Mechanism

Effect of polymerization on free water in polyacrylamide hydrogels observed with Brillouin spectroscopy

Brillouin spectroscopy is used to determine the effects of polymer concentration, crosslinking density, and polymerization on the longitudinal storage and loss moduli of polyacrylamide hydrogels. The model established by Chiarelli et al. is implemented to calculate the speed of sound in the free water [Chiarelli et al., The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2010, 127(3), 1197-1207]. The polymer concentration has the greatest effect on the moduli of the polymer matrix. We determined that the crosslink density has no measurable effect on the logitudinal storage or loss modulus of polyacrylamide hydrogels when measurements are made at GHz frequencies, in contrast to measurements made at kHz frequencies as documented by other studies. However, the moduli are independent of monomer concentration if the acrylamide is not polymerized. We show at the GHz frequency that the incorporation of acrylamide polymer chains affects the mechanical properties of the free water. The speed of sound in the free water is reduced by the introduction of polymerized acrylamide. The long polymer chains and their interactions with the bounded water disrupt the bonding organization of the unbound water, causing a reduction of the average hydrogen bond strength between free water molecules. This results in a decreased speed of sound in the free water and an increase in the longitudinal storage modulus of the hydrogel.

Impact of interfacial curvature on molecular properties of aqueous interfaces

The curvature of soft interfaces plays a crucial role in determining their mechanical and thermodynamic properties, both at macroscopic and microscopic scales. In the case of air/water interfaces, particular attention has recently focused on water microdroplets, due to their distinctive chemical reactivity. However, the specific impact of curvature on the molecular properties of interfacial water and interfacial reactivity has so far remained elusive. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations to determine the effect of curvature on a broad range of structural, dynamical, and thermodynamical properties of the interface. For a droplet, a flat interface, and a cavity, we successively examine the structure of the hydrogen-bond network and its relation to vibrational spectroscopy, the dynamics of water translation, rotation, and hydrogen-bond exchanges, and the thermodynamics of ion solvation and ion-pair dissociation. Our simulations show that curvature predominantly impacts the hydrogen-bond structure through the fraction of dangling OH groups and the dynamics of interfacial water molecules. In contrast, curvature has a limited effect on solvation and ion-pair dissociation thermodynamics. For water microdroplets, this suggests that the curvature alone cannot fully account for the distinctive reactivity measured in these systems, which are of great importance for catalysis and atmospheric chemistry.

Accurate Free Energies of Aqueous Electrolyte Solutions from Molecular Simulations with Non-polarizable Force Fields

Non-polarizable force fields fail to accurately predict free energies of aqueous electrolytes without compromising the predictive ability for densities and transport properties. A new approach is presented in which (1) TIP4P/2005 water and scaled charge force fields are used to describe the interactions in the liquid phase and (2) an additional Effective Charge Surface (ECS) is used to compute free energies at zero additional computational expense. The ECS is obtained using a single temperature-independent charge scaling parameter per species. Thereby, the chemical potential of water and the free energies of hydration of various aqueous salts (e.g., NaCl and LiCl) are accurately described (deviations less than 5% from experiments), in sharp contrast to calculations where the ECS is omitted (deviations larger than 20%). This approach enables accurate predictions of free energies of aqueous electrolyte solutions using non-polarizable force fields, without compromising liquid-phase properties.

A structure-dynamics relationship enables prediction of the water hydrogen bond exchange activation energy from experimental data

It has long been understood that the structural features of water are determined by hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) and that the exchange of, or "jumps" between, H-bond partners underlies many of the dynamical processes in water. Despite the importance of H-bond exchanges there is, as yet, no direct method for experimentally measuring the timescale of the process or its associated activation energy. Here, we identify and exploit relationships between water's structural and dynamical properties that provide an indirect route for determining the H-bond exchange activation energy from experimental data. Specifically, we show that the enthalpy and entropy determining the radial distribution function in liquid water are linearly correlated with the activation energies for H-bond jumps, OH reorientation, and diffusion. Using temperature-dependent measurements of the radial distribution function from the literature, we demonstrate how these correlations allow us to infer the value of the jump activation energy, Ea,0, from experimental results. This analysis gives Ea,0 = 3.43 kcal mol-1, which is in good agreement with that predicted by the TIP4P/2005 water model. We also illustrate other approaches for estimating this activation energy consistent with these estimates.

Electron confinement promoted the electric double layer effect of BiOI/β-Bi2O3 in photocatalytic water splitting

In the realm of photocatalysis, understanding the interface issues (solid/solid and solid/liquid) inherent in heterojunction at the atomic level is the ultimate for engineering an efficient photocatalyst. Herein, an electrophoretic deposition technique is adopted to synthesize BiOI/β-Bi2O3 heterojunction, exhibiting superior photocatalytic activity and stability in H2 evolution (91.5 μmol g-1 h-1) and H2O2 production (11.3 mg L-1 h-1). Combined with the experimental and computational results, a lower free energy of hydrogen evolution reaction (252.4 meV) has been observed contrast to BiOI and β-Bi2O3 samples. A carrier transfer process of like S-scheme heterojunction is proposed based on density of states (DOS) and carrier distribution calculations. The theoretical calculations illustrate the transition dipole moment, migration and accumulation of carrier in BiOI/β-Bi2O3 heterojunction. Subsequent ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) results of solid/liquid interface systems (BiOI/β-Bi2O3/H2O and β-Bi2O3/H2O) unravel the interface H2O (solvent) behaviors. The local aggregation of photo-generated electrons in BiOI/β-Bi2O3/H2O leads to a large potential drop, high proton migration rate and the steady electric double layer (EDL) structure compared to the β-Bi2O3/H2O, which facilitates the occurrence of photocatalytic reactions in solution. In addition to offering new insights into the hydrogen evolution and proton transfer in the EDL model and the association between the heterojunction effect and EDL structure, this work also introduces a novel design strategy for Bi-based heterojunctions.

Theoretical Study of the Two-Dimensional Vibrational Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy of the Air-Water Interface at Varying Temperature and Its Connections to the Interfacial Structure and Dynamics

We performed a theoretical study of the temperature variation of two-dimensional vibrational sum frequency generation (2D-VSFG) spectra of the OH stretch modes at air-water interfaces in the mid-IR region. The calculations are performed at four different temperatures from 250 to 325 K by using a combination of techniques involving response function formalism of nonlinear spectroscopy, electronic structure calculations, and molecular dynamics simulations. Also, the calculations are performed for isotopically dilute solutions so that the intra- and intermolecular coupling between the vibrational modes of interest can be ignored. We have established the connections of temperature variation of various frequency- and time-dependent features of the calculated spectra to the changes in the underlying structure and dynamics of the interfaces. The results reveal that interfacial water is dynamically more heterogeneous than bulk water, with three dominant dynamical processes exhibiting their corresponding time-dependent features in the 2D-VSFG spectrum. These are the spectral diffusion of hydrogen-bonded OH groups at the interface, conversion of an initially hydrogen-bonded OH group to a dangling OH which is a stable state for surface water, unlike the bulk water, and the third one, which involves the conversion of an initially free or dangling OH group to its hydrogen-bonded state at the interface. The temporal appearance of the cross peaks corresponding to interconversion of the hydrogen-bonded state to the dangling state or vice versa of an interfacial OH group is found to take place at a slower rate than the dynamics of spectral diffusion of hydrogen-bonded molecules at the interface, which, in turn, is slower than the corresponding spectral diffusion of bulk water molecules. The temperature variation of these dynamic processes can be linked to the decay of appropriate hydrogen-bond and non-hydrogen-bond time correlation functions of interfacial water molecules for the different air-water systems studied in this work.

Role of Charge Ordering in the Dynamics of Cluster Formation in Associated Liquids

Liquids are archetypes of disordered systems, yet liquids of polar molecules are locally more ordered than nonpolar molecules, due to the Coulomb interaction based charge ordering phenomenon. Hydrogen bonded liquids, such as water or alcohols, for example, represent a special type of polar liquids, in that they form labile clustered local structures. For water, in particular, hydrogen bonding and the related local tetrahedrality, play an important role in the various attempts to understand this liquid. However, labile structures imply dynamics, and it is not clear how it affects the understanding of this type of liquids from purely static point of view. Herein, we propose to reconsider hydrogen bonding as a charge ordering process. This concept allows us to demonstrate the insufficiency of the analysis of the microscopic structure based solely on static pair correlation functions, and the need for dynamical correlation functions, both in real and reciprocal space. The subsequent analysis allows to recover several aspects of our understanding of hydrogen bonded liquids, but from the charge order perspective. For water, it confirms the jump rotation picture found recently, and it allows to rationalize the contradicting pictures that arise when following the interpretations based on hydrogen bonding. For alcohols, it allows to understand the dynamical origin of the scattering prepeak, which does not exist for water, despite the fact that both these liquids have very similar hydroxyl group chain clusters. The concept of charge ordering complemented by the analysis of dynamical correlation functions appear as a promising way to understand microheterogeneity in complex liquids and mixtures from kinetics point of view.

Design of Soft Material Surfaces with Rationally Tuned Water Diffusivity

Water structure and dynamics can be key modulators of adsorption, separations, and reactions at soft material interfaces, but systematically tuning water environments in an aqueous, accessible, and functionalizable material platform has been elusive. This work leverages variations in excluded volume to control and measure water diffusivity as a function of position within polymeric micelles using Overhauser dynamic nuclear polarization spectroscopy. Specifically, a versatile materials platform consisting of sequence-defined polypeptoids simultaneously offers a route to controlling the functional group position and a unique opportunity to generate a water diffusivity gradient extending away from the polymer micelle core. These results demonstrate an avenue not only to rationally design the chemical and structural properties of polymer surfaces but also to design and tune the local water dynamics that, in turn, can adjust the local activity for solutes.

Effects of polarizability and charge transfer on water dynamics and the underlying activation energies

A large number of force fields have been proposed for describing the behavior of liquid water within classical atomistic simulations, particularly molecular dynamics. In the past two decades, models that incorporate molecular polarizability and even charge transfer have become more prevalent, in attempts to develop more accurate descriptions. These are frequently parameterized to reproduce the measured thermodynamics, phase behavior, and structure of water. On the other hand, the dynamics of water is rarely considered in the construction of these models, despite its importance in their ultimate applications. In this paper, we explore the structure and dynamics of polarizable and charge-transfer water models, with a focus on timescales that directly or indirectly relate to hydrogen bond (H-bond) making and breaking. Moreover, we use the recently developed fluctuation theory for dynamics to determine the temperature dependence of these properties to shed light on the driving forces. This approach provides key insight into the timescale activation energies through a rigorous decomposition into contributions from the different interactions, including polarization and charge transfer. The results show that charge transfer effects have a negligible effect on the activation energies. Furthermore, the same tension between electrostatic and van der Waals interactions that is found in fixed-charge water models also governs the behavior of polarizable models. The models are found to involve significant energy-entropy compensation, pointing to the importance of developing water models that accurately describe the temperature dependence of water structure and dynamics.

A Maxwell relation for dynamical timescales with application to the pressure and temperature dependence of water self-diffusion and shear viscosity

A Maxwell relation for a reaction rate constant (or other dynamical timescale) obtained under constant pressure, p, and temperature, T, is introduced and discussed. Examination of this relationship in the context of fluctuation theory provides insight into the p and T dependence of the timescale and the underlying molecular origins. This Maxwell relation motivates a suggestion for the general form of the timescale as a function of pressure and temperature. This is illustrated by accurately fitting simulation results and existing experimental data on the self-diffusion coefficient and shear viscosity of liquid water. A key advantage of this approach is that each fitting parameter is physically meaningful.

The collective burst mechanism of angular jumps in liquid water

Understanding the microscopic origins of collective reorientational motions in aqueous systems requires techniques that allow us to reach beyond our chemical imagination. Herein, we elucidate a mechanism using a protocol that automatically detects abrupt motions in reorientational dynamics, showing that large angular jumps in liquid water involve highly cooperative orchestrated motions. Our automatized detection of angular fluctuations, unravels a heterogeneity in the type of angular jumps occurring concertedly in the system. We show that large orientational motions require a highly collective dynamical process involving correlated motion of many water molecules in the hydrogen-bond network that form spatially connected clusters going beyond the local angular jump mechanism. This phenomenon is rooted in the collective fluctuations of the network topology which results in the creation of defects in waves on the THz timescale. The mechanism we propose involves a cascade of hydrogen-bond fluctuations underlying angular jumps and provides new insights into the current localized picture of angular jumps, and its wide use in the interpretations of numerous spectroscopies as well in reorientational dynamics of water near biological and inorganic systems. The role of finite size effects, as well as of the chosen water model, on the collective reorientation is also elucidated.

How machine learning can accelerate electrocatalysis discovery and optimization

Advances in machine learning (ML) provide the means to bypass bottlenecks in the discovery of new electrocatalysts using traditional approaches. In this review, we highlight the currently achieved work in ML-accelerated discovery and optimization of electrocatalysts via a tight collaboration between computational models and experiments. First, the applicability of available methods for constructing machine-learned potentials (MLPs), which provide accurate energies and forces for atomistic simulations, are discussed. Meanwhile, the current challenges for MLPs in the context of electrocatalysis are highlighted. Then, we review the recent progress in predicting catalytic activities using surrogate models, including microkinetic simulations and more global proxies thereof. Several typical applications of using ML to rationalize thermodynamic proxies and predict the adsorption and activation energies are also discussed. Next, recent developments of ML-assisted experiments for catalyst characterization, synthesis optimization and reaction condition optimization are illustrated. In particular, the applications in ML-enhanced spectra analysis and the use of ML to interpret experimental kinetic data are highlighted. Additionally, we also show how robotics are applied to high-throughput synthesis, characterization and testing of electrocatalysts to accelerate the materials exploration process and how this equipment can be assembled into self-driven laboratories.

Importance of Hydrogen Bonding in Crowded Environments: A Physical Chemistry Perspective

Cells are heterogeneous on every length and time scale; cytosol contains thousands of proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and small molecules, and molecular interactions within this crowded environment determine the structure, dynamics, and stability of biomolecules. For decades, the effects of crowding at the atomistic scale have been overlooked in favor of more tractable models largely based on thermodynamics. Crowding can affect the conformations and stability of biomolecules by modulating water structure and dynamics within the cell, and these effects are nonlocal and environment dependent. Thus, characterizing water's hydrogen-bond (H-bond) networks is a critical step toward a complete microscopic crowding model. This perspective provides an overview of molecular crowding and describes recent time-resolved spectroscopy approaches investigating H-bond networks and dynamics in crowded or otherwise complex aqueous environments. Ultrafast spectroscopy combined with atomistic simulations has emerged as a powerful combination for studying H-bond structure and dynamics in heterogeneous multicomponent systems. We discuss the ongoing challenges toward developing a complete atomistic description of macromolecular crowding from an experimental as well as a theoretical perspective.