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Le TTB, Finney AR, Zen A, Bui T, Tay WJ, Chellappah K, Salvalaglio M, Michaelides A, Striolo A. Mesoscale Simulations Reveal How Salt Influences Clay Particles Agglomeration in Aqueous Dispersions. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:1612-1624. [PMID: 37916678 PMCID: PMC10902848 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
The aggregation of clay particles is an everyday phenomenon of scientific and industrial relevance. However, it is a complex multiscale process that depends delicately on the nature of the particle-particle and particle-solvent interactions. Toward understanding how to control such phenomena, a multiscale computational approach is developed, building from molecular simulations conducted at atomic resolution to calculate the potential of mean force (PMF) profiles in both pure and saline water environments. We document how it is possible to use such a model to develop a fundamental understanding concerning the mechanism of particle aggregation. For example, using molecular dynamics simulations conducted at the mesoscale in implicit solvents, it is possible to quantify the size and shape of clay aggregates as a function of system conditions. The approach is used to emphasize the role of salt concentration, which directly affects the potentials of the mean forces between kaolinite particles. While particle agglomeration in pure water yields large aggregates, the presence of sodium chloride in the aqueous brine leads instead to a large number of small aggregates. These results are consistent with macroscopic experimental observations, suggesting that the simulation protocol developed could be relevant for preventing pore blocking in heterogeneous porous matrixes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tran Thi Bao Le
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, WC1E 7JE, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aaron R Finney
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, WC1E 7JE, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Zen
- Dipartimento di Fisica Ettore Pancini, Università di Napoli Federico II, Monte S. Angelo, I-80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Tai Bui
- BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd, Chertsey Road, Sunbury-on-Thames TW16 7LN, United Kingdom
| | - Weparn J Tay
- BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd, Chertsey Road, Sunbury-on-Thames TW16 7LN, United Kingdom
| | - Kuhan Chellappah
- BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd, Chertsey Road, Sunbury-on-Thames TW16 7LN, United Kingdom
| | - Matteo Salvalaglio
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, WC1E 7JE, London, United Kingdom
| | - Angelos Michaelides
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Alberto Striolo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, WC1E 7JE, London, United Kingdom
- School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
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Fernando A, Khan D, Hoffmann MR, Çakır D. Exploring the biointerfaces: ab initio investigation of nano-montmorillonite clay, and its interaction with unnatural amino acids. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:29624-29632. [PMID: 37881012 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02944a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the interaction between biomimetic Fe and Mg co-doped montmorillonite nanoclay and eleven unnatural amino acids. Employing three different functionals (PBE-GGA, PBE-GGA + U, and HSE06), we examined the clay's structural, electronic, and magnetic properties. Our results revealed the necessity of using PBE-GGA + U with U ≥ 4 eV to accurately describe key clay properties. We identified amino acids that strongly interacted with the clay surface, with steric orientation playing a crucial role in facilitating binding. Our DFT calculations highlighted significant electrostatic interactions between the amino acids and the clay slab, with the amino group's predominant role in this interaction. These findings hold promise for designing amino acids for clay-amino acid systems, leading to innovative bio-material composites for various applications. Additionally, our ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the stability of clay-amino acid systems under ambient conditions, and the introduction of an implicit water solvent enhanced the binding energy of amino acids on the clay surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashan Fernando
- Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202, USA.
| | - Desmond Khan
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202, USA
| | - Mark R Hoffmann
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202, USA
| | - Deniz Çakır
- Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202, USA.
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Ghazanfari S, Alesadi A, Liao Y, Zhang Y, Xia W. Molecular insights into the temperature and pressure dependence of mechanical behavior and dynamics of Na-montmorillonite clay. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2023; 5:5449-5459. [PMID: 37822914 PMCID: PMC10563839 DOI: 10.1039/d3na00365e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Sodium montmorillonite (Na-MMT) clay mineral is a common type of swelling clay that has potential applications for nuclear waste storage at high temperatures and pressures. However, there is a limited understanding of the mechanical properties, local molecular stiffness, and dynamic heterogeneity of this material at elevated temperatures and pressures. To address this, we employ all-atomistic (AA) molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to investigate the tensile behavior of Na-MMT clay over a wide temperature range (500 K to 1700 K) and pressures (200 atm to 100 000 atm). The results show that increasing the temperature significantly reduces the tensile modulus, strength, and failure strain, while pressure has a minor effect compared to temperature, as seen in the normalized pressure-temperature plot. Mean-square displacement (MSD) analysis reveals increased molecular stiffness with increasing pressure and decreasing temperature, indicating suppressed atomic mobility. Our simulations indicate temperature-dependent dynamical heterogeneity in the Na-MMT model, supported by experimental studies and quantified local molecular stiffness distribution. These findings enhance our understanding of the tensile response and dynamical heterogeneity of Na-MMT clay under extreme conditions, aiding the development of clay minerals for engineering applications such as nuclear waste storage and shale gas extraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Ghazanfari
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University Fargo ND 58108 USA
| | - Amirhadi Alesadi
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University Fargo ND 58108 USA
| | - Yangchao Liao
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University Fargo ND 58108 USA
| | - Yida Zhang
- Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder Boulder CO 80309 USA
| | - Wenjie Xia
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University Fargo ND 58108 USA
- Department of Aerospace Engineering, Iowa State University Ames IA 50011 USA
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Zhao H, Cui H, Jiang S, Awadalseed W, Guo J, Yang W, Kang X. Tensile and compressive behavior of Na-, K-, Ca-Montmorillonite and temperature effects. Chem Phys 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphys.2023.111855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
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Novell Leruth G, Kuznetsova A, Tedim J, Gomes JRB, Galvão TLP. Molecular Dynamics Model to Explore the Initial Stages of Anion Exchange involving Layered Double Hydroxide Particles. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:4039. [PMID: 36432324 PMCID: PMC9695576 DOI: 10.3390/nano12224039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
A classical molecular dynamics (MD) model of fully unconstrained layered double hydroxide (LDH) particles in aqueous NaCl solution was developed to explore the initial stages of the anion exchange process, a key feature of LDHs for their application in different fields. In particular, this study focuses on the active corrosion protection mechanism, where LDHs are able to entrap aggressive species from the solution while releasing fewer corrosive species or even corrosion inhibitors. With this purpose in mind, it was explored the release kinetics of the delivery of nitrate and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT, a typical corrosion inhibitor) from layered double hydroxide particles triggered by the presence of aggressive chloride anions in solution. It was shown that the delamination of the cationic layers occurs during the anion exchange process, which is especially evident in the case of MBT-.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Novell Leruth
- CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
- CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Alena Kuznetsova
- CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
- Smallmatek—Small Materials and Technologies Lda., Rua dos Canhas, 3810-075 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - João Tedim
- CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - José R. B. Gomes
- CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Tiago L. P. Galvão
- CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
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Ghazanfari S, Han Y, Xia W, Kilin DS. First-Principles Study on Optoelectronic Properties of Fe-Doped Montmorillonite Clay. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:4257-4262. [PMID: 35522138 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c00697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A theoretical investigation is conducted to describe optoelectronic properties of Fe-doped montmorillonite nanoclay under spin states of low spin (LS), intermediate spin (IS), and high spin (HS). Ground state electronic properties are studied using spin-polarized density functional theory calculations. The nonradiative and radiative relaxation channels of charge carriers are studied by computing nonadiabatic couplings (NACs) using an "on-the-fly" approach from adiabatic molecular dynamics trajectories. The NACs are further processed using a reduced density matrix approach with the Redfield formalism. The computational results are presented for electronic density of states, absorption spectra, charge carrier dynamics, and photoluminescence (PL) by comparing various spin multiplicities. Results on spin α and spin β components are independent and quite different because of the partial occupation of Fe 3d states. Overall, HS is the most stable with the largest Fe-O distances. One finds different nonradiative relaxation pathways in space and on the time scale for electrons and holes. The Redfield PL reveals obvious Fe 3d-3d transitions for LS and IS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Ghazanfari
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58108, United States
| | - Yulun Han
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58108, United States
| | - Wenjie Xia
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58108, United States
- Materials and Nanotechnology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58108, United States
| | - Dmitri S Kilin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58108, United States
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