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Duan L, Jin Z. High-Pressure CO 2 and CH 4 Transport in Smooth Crystalline Silica Mesopores: A Molecular Dynamics Study. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:51608-51617. [PMID: 39283996 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c06737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
In this study, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to study pressure-driven CO2 and CH4 flows and their slippage behaviors in β-cristobalite mesopores. The result illustrates that both CO2 and CH4 have an apparent adsorption layer on pore surface. However, significant differences in gas slippage are observed: CH4 flow shows considerable slippage, while it is negligible for CO2 flow. This disparity is attributed to the collective effect of gas molecular configurations and surface structure. The linear molecular structure of CO2 allows it to align perpendicular to the surface, even penetrating into the surface. Notably, the perpendicular orientation of CO2 molecules is energetically favored near the center of the equilateral triangle formed by adjacent oxygen atoms on β-cristobalite surface. Conversely, the symmetric molecular structure of CH4, coupled with its larger size, prevents its penetration into pore surfaces. Therefore, despite smooth crystalline surfaces, CO2 topological accessible plane is much more curved than that of CH4. Consequently, CO2 displays hesitating motions undergoing rotational movements, which significantly hinders its slippage. This study highlights the collective influences of gas molecular characteristics and surface structure on gas slippage, affording important insights into gas sequestration and the development of functional materials for gas separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian Duan
- School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Zhehui Jin
- School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
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2
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Zhao Y, Yang L, Xiao P, Liang Y, Hua X, Tian W, Fang W, Liu B. Molecular Insight into CO 2 Improving Oil Mobility in Shale Inorganic Nanopores Containing Water Films. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:17568-17576. [PMID: 39121343 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c01806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/11/2024]
Abstract
CO2 injection into shale reservoirs has been recognized as one of the most promising techniques for enhanced oil recovery and carbon capture, utilization, and storage. However, the omnipresent nanopores and the water films formed near the pore walls affect the understanding of mechanisms of CO2 regulating crude oil mobility in shale nanopores. In this work, we employ molecular dynamics simulations to study the occurrence and flow of CO2 and octane (nC8) mixtures in quartz nanopores containing water films, to illustrate the impact mechanisms of CO2 on nC8 mobility. The results indicate that nC8 exists between water films, and CO2 is mainly miscible with nC8 in the pore center, and a small portion of it accumulates at the interface between nC8 and the water film. CO2 significantly decreases the apparent viscosity of nC8 in both the bulk nC8 region and the nC8-water interface region, improving nC8 fluidity. As the percentage of CO2 in the CO2 and nC8 mixtures increases from 0 to 50%, the mean flow velocities of nC8 in the bulk phase region and the nC8-water interface region increase by 92.85 and 60.64%, respectively. Three major microscopic mechanisms of CO2 improving nC8 fluidity in quartz nanopores with water films are summarized: (i) CO2 reduces friction between nC8 and the water film by increasing the angle between nC8 molecules and the plane of the water film; (ii) CO2 widens the distance between nC8 molecules, causing the volume expansion of nC8 and its viscosity reduction; (iii) CO2 significantly increases the most probable and average velocities of nC8 molecules, thus improving their mobility. Our results enhance the comprehension of how CO2 facilitates oil flow in water-bearing shale reservoirs and the exploitation of unconventional oil resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Zhao
- College of Science, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, P. R. China
| | | | - Peiwen Xiao
- Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, PetroChina, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Nano Chemistry, China National Petroleum Corporation, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yunhang Liang
- College of Science, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, P. R. China
| | - Xinlong Hua
- College of Science, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, P. R. China
| | - Wen Tian
- College of Science, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, P. R. China
| | - Wenjing Fang
- College of Science, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, P. R. China
| | - Bing Liu
- College of Science, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, P. R. China
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3
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Leverant CJ, Greathouse JA, Harvey JA, Alam TM. Machine Learning Predictions of Simulated Self-Diffusion Coefficients for Bulk and Confined Pure Liquids. J Chem Theory Comput 2023. [PMID: 37192538 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c01040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Diffusion properties of bulk fluids have been predicted using empirical expressions and machine learning (ML) models, suggesting that predictions of diffusion also should be possible for fluids in confined environments. The ability to quickly and accurately predict diffusion in porous materials would enable new discoveries and spur development in relevant technologies such as separations, catalysis, batteries, and subsurface applications. In this work, we apply artificial neural network (ANN) models to predict the simulated self-diffusion coefficients of real liquids in both bulk and pore environments. The training data sets were generated from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of Lennard-Jones particles representing a diverse set of 14 molecules ranging from ammonia to dodecane over a range of liquid pressures and temperatures. Planar, cylindrical, and hexagonal pore models consisted of walls composed of carbon atoms. Our simple model for these liquids was primarily used to generate ANN training data, but the simulated self-diffusion coefficients of bulk liquids show excellent agreement with experimental diffusion coefficients. ANN models based on simple descriptors accurately reproduced the MD diffusion data for both bulk and confined liquids, including the trend of increased mobility in large pores relative to the corresponding bulk liquid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calen J Leverant
- Nanoscale Sciences Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Jeffery A Greathouse
- Nuclear Waste Disposal Research & Analysis Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Jacob A Harvey
- Geochemistry Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Todd M Alam
- Department of Organic Materials Science, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
- ACC Consulting New Mexico, Cedar Crest, New Mexico 87008, United States
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4
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Ho TA, Wang Y, Rempe SB, Dasgupta N, Johnston CT, Xu G, Zwier TS, Mills M. Control of the Structural Charge Distribution and Hydration State upon Intercalation of CO 2 into Expansive Clay Interlayers. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:2901-2909. [PMID: 36926904 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c00291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Numerous experimental investigations indicated that expansive clays such as montmorillonite can intercalate CO2 preferentially into their interlayers and therefore potentially act as a material for CO2 separation, capture, and storage. However, an understanding of the energy-structure relationship during the intercalation of CO2 into clay interlayers remains elusive. Here, we use metadynamics molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the energy landscape associated with CO2 intercalation. Our free energy calculations indicate that CO2 favorably partitions into nanoconfined water in clay interlayers from a gas phase, leading to an increase in the CO2/H2O ratio in clay interlayers as compared to that in bulk water. CO2 molecules prefer to be located at the centers of charge-neutral hydrophobic siloxane rings, whereas interlayer spaces close to structural charges tend to avoid CO2 intercalation. The structural charge distribution significantly affects the amount of CO2 intercalated in the interlayers. These results provide a mechanistic understanding of CO2 intercalation in clays for CO2 separation, capture, and storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuan A Ho
- Geochemistry Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Yifeng Wang
- Nuclear Waste Disposal Research and Analysis Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Susan B Rempe
- Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Nabankur Dasgupta
- Geochemistry Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Cliff T Johnston
- Department of Agronomy and Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Guangping Xu
- Geochemistry Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Timothy S Zwier
- Gas Phase Chemical Physics Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Melissa Mills
- Nuclear Waste Disposal Research and Analysis Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
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5
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Zhao Y, Li W, Zhan S, Jin Z. Breakthrough pressure of oil displacement by water through the ultra-narrow kerogen pore throat from the Young-Laplace equation and molecular dynamic simulations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:17195-17209. [PMID: 35792334 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp01643e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
As one common unconventional reservoir, shale plays a pivotal role to compensate the depletion of conventional oil resources. There are numerous nanoscale pores and ultra-narrow pore throats (sub 2 nm) in shale media. To displace oil through ultra-narrow pore throats by water, one needs to overcome excessively-high capillary pressure. Understanding the water-oil two-phase displacement process through pore throats is critical to numerical simulation on tight/shale oil exploitation and ultimate oil recovery estimation. In this work, we use molecular dynamics simulations to investigate oil (represented by n-octane) displacement by water through a ~2 nm kerogen (represented by Type II-C kerogen) pore throat. Besides, the applicability of the Young-Laplace equation to the ultra-narrow kerogen pore throat has been assessed. We find that although the Type II-C kerogen is generally oil-wet, water has an excellent displacement efficiency without the oil film on the substrate, thanks to the hydrogen bonding formed between water and heteroatoms (such as O, N, and S) on the kerogen surface. Unlike previous studies, the capillary pressure obtained from the widely used Young-Laplace equation shows a good agreement with the breakthrough pressure obtained from MD simulations for the ∼2 nm kerogen pore throat. Our work indicates that explicitly considering intermolecular interactions as well as atomistic and molecular level characteristics is imperative to study the two-phase displacement process through ultra-narrow pore throats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinuo Zhao
- School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada.
| | - Wenhui Li
- School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada.
| | - Shiyuan Zhan
- College of Energy, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China.,State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
| | - Zhehui Jin
- School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada.
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6
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Huda MM, Saha C, Jahan N, Wilson WN, Rai N. Insights into Sorption and Molecular Transport of Aqueous Glucose into Zeolite Nanopores. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:1352-1364. [PMID: 35119855 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c10572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Liquid-phase heterogeneous catalysis using zeolites is important for biomass conversion to fuels and chemicals. There is a substantial body of work on gas-phase sorption in zeolites with different topologies; however, studies investigating the diffusion of complex molecules in liquid medium into zeolitic nanopores are scarce. Here, we present a molecular dynamics study to understand the sorption and diffusion of aqueous β-d-glucose into β-zeolite silicate at T = 395 K and P = 1 bar. Through 2-μs-long molecular dynamics trajectories, we reveal the role of the solvent, the kinetics of the pore filling, and the effect of the water model on these properties. We find that the glucose and water loading is a function of the initial glucose concentration. Although the glucose concentration increases monotonically with the initial glucose concentration, the water loading exhibits a nonmonotonic behavior. At the highest initial concentration (∼20 wt %), we find that the equilibrium loading of glucose is approximately five molecules per unit cell and displays a weak dependence on the water model. Glucose molecules follow a single-file diffusion in the nanopores due to confinement. The dynamics of glucose and water molecules slows significantly at the interface. The average residence time for glucose molecules is an order of magnitude larger than that in the bulk solution, while it is about twice as large for the water molecules. Our simulations reveal critical molecular details of the glucose molecule's local environment inside the zeolite pore relevant to catalytic conversion of biomass to valuable chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Masrul Huda
- Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering and Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, United States
| | - Chinmoy Saha
- Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering and Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, United States
| | - Nusrat Jahan
- Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering and Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, United States
| | - Woodrow N Wilson
- Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering and Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, United States
| | - Neeraj Rai
- Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering and Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, United States
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7
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Pace T, Rahmaninejad H, Sun B, Kekenes-Huskey PM. Homogenization of Continuum-Scale Transport Properties from Molecular Dynamics Simulations: An Application to Aqueous-Phase Methane Diffusion in Silicate Channels. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:11520-11533. [PMID: 34618464 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c07062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Silica-based materials including zeolites are commonly used for wide-ranging applications including separations and catalysis. Substrate transport rates in these materials can significantly influence the efficiency of such applications. Two factors that contribute to transport rates include (1) the porosity of the silicate matrix and (2) nonbonding interactions between the diffusing species and the silicate surface. These contributions generally emerge from disparate length scales, namely, "microscopic" (roughly nanometer-scale) and "macroscopic" (roughly micron-scale), respectively. Here, we develop a simulation framework to estimate the simultaneous impact of these factors on methane mass transport in silicate channels. Specifically, we develop a model of methane transport using homogenization theory to obtain transport parameters valid at length scales of hundreds to thousands of nanometers. These parameters implicitly reflect interactions taking place at fractions of a nanometer. The inputs to the homogenization analysis are data from extensive molecular dynamics simulations that incorporate atomistic-scale interactions, processed to yield local diffusion coefficients and mean force potentials. With this model, we demonstrate how nuances in silicate hydration and silica/methane interactions impact methane diffusion rates in silicate materials, including the effects of silicate surface chemistry such as the presence of silanol groups. The molecular dynamics simulations indicate that methane diffusivity at the silica surface is lower than the bulk-like rates observed at the center of channels of sufficient width. However, potentials of mean force generally evidence attractive methane/silica interactions that enhance diffusion overall. By simultaneously accounting for both of these effects, we show that the effective diffusion coefficient for the nanoporous silicate can be approximately double the value of estimates assuming fully bulk-like behavior in the channel. This study therefore demonstrates the importance of determining diffusion coefficients and potentials of mean force at an atomistic level when estimating transport properties in bulk materials. Importantly, we provide a simple homogenization framework to incorporate these molecular-scale attributes into bulk material transport estimates. This hybrid homogenization/molecular dynamics approach will be of general use for describing small-molecule transport in materials with detailed molecular interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Pace
- Department of Cell & Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois 60153, United States
| | - Hadi Rahmaninejad
- Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Bin Sun
- Department of Cell & Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois 60153, United States
| | - Peter M Kekenes-Huskey
- Department of Cell & Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois 60153, United States
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8
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Joly L, Meißner RH, Iannuzzi M, Tocci G. Osmotic Transport at the Aqueous Graphene and hBN Interfaces: Scaling Laws from a Unified, First-Principles Description. ACS NANO 2021; 15:15249-15258. [PMID: 34491721 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c05931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Osmotic transport in nanoconfined aqueous electrolytes provides alternative venues for water desalination and "blue energy" harvesting. The osmotic response of nanofluidic systems is controlled by the interfacial structure of water and electrolyte solutions in the so-called electrical double layer (EDL), but a molecular-level picture of the EDL is to a large extent still lacking. Particularly, the role of the electronic structure has not been considered in the description of electrolyte/surface interactions. Here, we report enhanced sampling simulations based on ab initio molecular dynamics, aiming at unravelling the free energy of prototypical ions adsorbed at the aqueous graphene and hBN interfaces, and its consequences on nanofluidic osmotic transport. Specifically, we predicted the zeta potential, the diffusio-osmotic mobility, and the diffusio-osmotic conductivity for a wide range of salt concentrations from the ab initio water and ion spatial distributions through an analytical framework based on Stokes equation and a modified Poisson-Boltzmann equation. We observed concentration-dependent scaling laws, together with dramatic differences in osmotic transport between the two interfaces, including diffusio-osmotic flow and current reversal on hBN but not on graphene. We could rationalize the results for the three osmotic responses with a simple model based on characteristic length scales for ion and water adsorption at the surface, which are quite different on graphene and on hBN. Our work provides fundamental insights into the structure and osmotic transport of aqueous electrolytes on 2D materials and explores alternative pathways for efficient water desalination and osmotic energy conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Joly
- Univ Lyon, Univ Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Institut Lumière Matière, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 rue Descartes, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Robert H Meißner
- Hamburg University of Technology, Insitute of Polymers and Composites, Hamburg 21073, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Institute of Surface Science, Geesthacht 21502, Germany
| | - Marcella Iannuzzi
- Department of Chemistry, Universität Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Gabriele Tocci
- Department of Chemistry, Universität Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
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9
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Yuan T, Farmahini AH, Sarkisov L. Application of the dynamic mean field theory to fluid transport in slit pores. J Chem Phys 2021; 155:074702. [PMID: 34418941 DOI: 10.1063/5.0060776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
We explore the applicability of the lattice model and dynamic mean field theory as a computationally efficient tool to study transport across heterogeneous porous media, such as mixed matrix membranes. As a starting point and to establish some basic definitions of properties analogous to those in the off-lattice systems, we consider transport across simple models of porous materials represented by a slit pore in a chemical potential gradient. Using this simple model, we investigate the distribution of density and flux under steady state conditions, define the permeability across the system, and explore how this property depends on the length of the pore and the solid-fluid interactions. Among other effects, we observe that the flux in the system goes through a maximum as the solid-fluid interaction is varied from weak to strong. This effect is dominated by the behavior of the fluid near the walls and is also confirmed by off-lattice molecular dynamics simulations. We further extend this study to explore transport across heterogeneous slit pore channels composed of two solids with different values of solid-fluid interaction strengths. We demonstrate that the lattice models and dynamic mean field theory provide a useful framework to pose questions on the accuracy and applicability of the classical theories of transport across heterogeneous porous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianmu Yuan
- The Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Amir H Farmahini
- The Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Lev Sarkisov
- The Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
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10
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Phan A, Striolo A. Aqueous films on pore surfaces mediate adsorption and transport of gases through crowded nanopores. J Chem Phys 2021; 154:094706. [PMID: 33685141 DOI: 10.1063/5.0039973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions of trapped reservoir gases within organic-rich and brine-bearing sedimentary rocks have direct relevance to many geoenergy applications. Extracting generalizable information from experimental campaigns is hindered by the fact that geological systems are extremely complex. However, modern computational tools offer the opportunity of studying systems with controlled complexity, in an effort to better understand the mechanisms at play. Employing molecular dynamics, we examine here adsorption and transport of gases containing CH4 and either CO2 or H2S within amorphous silica nanopores filled with benzene. We explicitly quantify the effect of small amounts of water/brines at geological temperature and pressure conditions. Because of wetting, the presence of brines lessens the adsorption capacity of the aromatic-filled pore. The simulation results show salt-specific effects on the transport properties of the gases when either KCl or CaCl2 brines are considered, although adsorption was not affected. The acid gases considered either facilitate or hinder CH4 transport depending on whether they are more or less preferentially adsorbed within the pore as compared to benzene, and this effect is mediated by the presence of water/brines. Our simulation results could be used to extract thermodynamic quantities that in the future will help to optimize transport of various gases through organic-rich and brine-bearing sedimentary rocks, which is likely to have a positive impact on both hydrocarbon production and carbon sequestration applications. As a first step, a phenomenological model is presented here, which allows one to predict permeability based on interatomic energies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh Phan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, United Kingdom
| | - Alberto Striolo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, United Kingdom
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11
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Insight of organic molecule dissolution and diffusion in cross-linked polydimethylsiloxane using molecular simulation. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2020.118863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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12
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A Novel Modeling Approach to Stochastically Evaluate the Impact of Pore Network Geometry, Chemistry and Topology on Fluid Transport. Transp Porous Media 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11242-020-01522-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
AbstractFine-grained sandstones, siltstones, and shales have become increasingly important to satisfy the ever-growing global energy demands. Of particular current interest are shale rocks, which are mudstones made up of organic and inorganic constituents of varying pore sizes. These materials exhibit high heterogeneity, low porosity, varying chemical composition and low pore connectivity. Due to the complexity and the importance of such materials, many experimental, theoretical and computational efforts have attempted to quantify the impact of rock features on fluids diffusivity and ultimately on permeability. In this study, we introduce a stochastic kinetic Monte Carlo approach developed to simulate fluid transport. The features of this approach allow us to discuss the applicability of 2D vs 3D models for the calculation of transport properties. It is found that a successful model should consider realistic 3D pore networks consisting of pore bodies that communicate via pore throats, which however requires a prohibitive amount of computational resources. To overcome current limitations, we present a rigorous protocol to stochastically generate synthetic 3D pore networks in which pore features can be isolated and varied systematically and individually. These synthetic networks do not correspond to real sample scenarios but are crucial to achieve a systematic evaluation of the pore features on the transport properties. Using this protocol, we quantify the contribution of the pore network’s connectivity, porosity, mineralogy, and pore throat width distribution on the diffusivity of supercritical methane. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to rank the significance of the various network features on methane diffusivity. Connectivity is found to be the most important descriptor, followed by pore throat width distribution and porosity. Based on such insights, recommendations are provided on possible technological approaches to enhance fluid transport through shale rocks and equally complex pore networks. The purpose of this work is to identify the significance of various pore network characteristics using a stochastic KMC algorithm to simulate the transport of fluids. Our findings could be relevant for applications that make use of porous media, ranging from catalysis to radioactive waste management, and from environmental remediation to shale gas production.
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13
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Rai S, Sharma N, Rai D. Structured water chains in external electric fields. Mol Phys 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/00268976.2019.1662957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Smita Rai
- Department of Physics, Sikkim University, Samdur, India
| | - Nayan Sharma
- Department of Physics, Sikkim University, Samdur, India
| | - Dhurba Rai
- Department of Physics, Sikkim University, Samdur, India
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14
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Phan A, Striolo A. Evidence of Facilitated Transport in Crowded Nanopores. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:1814-1821. [PMID: 31976670 PMCID: PMC7145346 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b03751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Fluid transport in nature often occurs through crowded nanopores, where a number of phenomena can affect it, because of fluid-fluid and fluid-solid interactions, as well as the presence of organic compounds filling the pores and their structural fluctuations. Employing molecular dynamics, we probe here the transport of fluid mixtures (CO2-CH4 and H2S-CH4) through silica nanopores filled with benzene. Both CO2 and H2S are strongly adsorbed within the organic-filled pore, partially displacing benzene. Unexpectedly, CO2/H2S adsorption facilitates CH4 transport. Analysis of the trajectories suggests that both CO2 and H2S act as vehicle-like carriers and might swell benzene, generating preferential transport pathways within the crowded pore. The results are useful for identifying unexpected transport mechanisms and for developing engineering approaches that could lead to storage of CO2 in caprocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh Phan
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University College
London, London WC1E 7JE, U.K.
| | - Alberto Striolo
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University College
London, London WC1E 7JE, U.K.
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15
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Liu T, Gautam S, Cole DR, Patankar S, Tomasko D, Zhou W, Rother G. Structure and dynamics of ethane confined in silica nanopores in the presence of CO 2. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:084707. [PMID: 32113366 PMCID: PMC7929619 DOI: 10.1063/1.5134451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Fundamental understanding of the subcritical/supercritical behavior of key hydrocarbon species inside nano-porous matrices at elevated pressure and temperature is less developed compared to bulk fluids, but this knowledge is of great importance for chemical and energy engineering industries. This study explores in detail the structure and dynamics of ethane (C2H6) fluid confined in silica nanopores, with a focus on the effects of pressure and different ratios of C2H6 and CO2 at non-ambient temperature. Quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) experiments were carried out for the pure C2H6, C2H6:CO2 = 3:1, and 1:3 mixed fluids confined in 4-nm cylindrical silica pores at three different pressures (30 bars, 65 bars, and 100 bars) at 323 K. Two Lorentzian functions were required to fit the spectra, corresponding to fast and slow translational motions. No localized motions (rotations and vibrations) were detected. Higher pressures resulted in hindrances of the diffusivity of C2H6 molecules in all systems investigated. Pore size was found to be an important factor, i.e., the dynamics of confined C2H6 is more restricted in smaller pores compared to the larger pores used in previous studies. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to complement the QENS experiment at 65 bars, providing supportive structure information and comparable dynamic information. The simulations indicate that CO2 molecules are more strongly attracted to the pore surface compared to C2H6. The C2H6 molecules interacting with or near the pore surface form a dense first layer (L1) close to the pore surface and a second less dense layer (L2) extending into the pore center. Both the experiments and simulations revealed the role that CO2 molecules play in enhancing C2H6 diffusion ("molecular lubrication") at high CO2:C2H6 ratios. The energy scales of the two dynamic components, fast and slow, quantified by both techniques, are in very good agreement. Herein, the simulations identified the fast component as the main contributor to the dynamics. Molecule motions in the L2 region are mostly responsible for the dynamics (fast and slow) that can be detected by the instrument.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Liu
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, 125 South Oval Mall, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Siddharth Gautam
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, 125 South Oval Mall, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - David R. Cole
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, 125 South Oval Mall, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Sumant Patankar
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 151 W Woodruff Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - David Tomasko
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 151 W Woodruff Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Wei Zhou
- NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
| | - Gernot Rother
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
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16
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Apostolopoulou M, Santos MS, Hamza M, Bui T, Economou IG, Stamatakis M, Striolo A. Quantifying Pore Width Effects on Diffusivity via a Novel 3D Stochastic Approach with Input from Atomistic Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Chem Theory Comput 2019; 15:6907-6922. [PMID: 31603675 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.9b00776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The increased production of unconventional hydrocarbons emphasizes the need to understand the transport of fluids through narrow pores. Although it is well-known that confinement affects fluids structure and transport, it is not yet possible to quantitatively predict properties such as diffusivity as a function of pore width in the range of 1-50 nm. Such pores are commonly found not only in shale rocks but also in a wide range of engineering materials, including catalysts. We propose here a novel and computationally efficient methodology to obtain accurate diffusion coefficient predictions as a function of pore width for pores carved out of common materials, such as silica, alumina, magnesium oxide, calcite, and muscovite. We implement atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to quantify fluid structure and transport within 5 nm-wide pores, with particular focus on the diffusion coefficient within different pore regions. We then use these data as input to a bespoke stochastic kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model, developed to predict fluid transport in mesopores. The KMC model is used to extrapolate the fluid diffusivity for pores of increasing width. We validate the approach against atomistic MD simulation results obtained for wider pores. When applied to supercritical methane in slit-shaped pores, our methodology yields data within 10% of the atomistic simulation results, with significant savings in computational time. The proposed methodology, which combines the advantages of MD and KMC simulations, is used to generate a digital library for the diffusivity of gases as a function of pore chemistry and pore width and could be relevant for a number of applications, from the prediction of hydrocarbon transport in shale rocks to the optimization of catalysts, when surface-fluid interactions impact transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Apostolopoulou
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University College London , Torrington Place , London WC1E 7JE , United Kingdom
| | - Mirella S Santos
- Chemical Engineering Program , Texas A&M University at Qatar , P.O. Box 23874, Doha , Qatar
| | - Muhammad Hamza
- Chemical Engineering Program , Texas A&M University at Qatar , P.O. Box 23874, Doha , Qatar
| | - Tai Bui
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University College London , Torrington Place , London WC1E 7JE , United Kingdom
| | - Ioannis G Economou
- Chemical Engineering Program , Texas A&M University at Qatar , P.O. Box 23874, Doha , Qatar
| | - Michail Stamatakis
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University College London , Torrington Place , London WC1E 7JE , United Kingdom
| | - Alberto Striolo
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University College London , Torrington Place , London WC1E 7JE , United Kingdom
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17
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Zou X, Li M, Zhou S, Chen C, Zhong J, Xue A, Zhang Y, Zhao Y. Diffusion behaviors of ethanol and water through g–C3N4–based membranes: Insights from molecular dynamics simulation. J Memb Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2019.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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18
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Escalante DE, Aksan A. Role of Water Hydrogen Bonding on Transport of Small Molecules inside Hydrophobic Channels. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:6673-6685. [PMID: 31310534 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b03060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We conducted a systematic analysis of water networking inside smooth hyperboloid hydrophobic structures (cylindrical, barrel, and hourglass shapes) to elucidate the role of water hydrogen bonding on the transport of small hydrophobic molecules (ligands). Through a series of molecular dynamics simulations, we established that a hydrogen-bonded network forming along the centerline resulted in a water exclusion zone adjacent to the walls. The size of the exclusion zone is a function of the geometry and the nonbonded interaction strength, defining the effective hydrophobicity of the structure. Exclusion of water molecules from this zone results in lower apparent viscosity, leading to acceleration of ligand transport up to 7 times faster than that measured in the bulk. Transport of ligands into and out of the hydrophobic structures was shown to be controlled by a single water molecule that capped the narrow regions in the structure. This mechanism provides physical insights into the behavior and role of water in the bottleneck regions of hydrophobic enzyme channels. These findings were then used in a sister publication [ Escalante , D. E. , Comput. Struct. Biotechnol. J. 2019 17 757 760 ] to develop a model that can accurately predict the transport of ligands along nanochannels of broad-substrate specificity enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego E Escalante
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , University of Minnesota , Minneapolis , Minnesota 55455 , United States
| | - Alptekin Aksan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , University of Minnesota , Minneapolis , Minnesota 55455 , United States.,BioTechnology Institute , University of Minnesota , St. Paul , Minnesota 55108 , United States
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19
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Mohammed S, Gadikota G. CO2-Induced displacement and diffusive transport of shale geofluids in silica nanopores of varying sizes. J CO2 UTIL 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2019.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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20
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Mohammed S, Gadikota G. The role of calcite and silica interfaces on the aggregation and transport of asphaltenes in confinement. J Mol Liq 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2018.10.163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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21
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Gautam S, Le TTB, Rother G, Jalarvo N, Liu T, Mamontov E, Dai S, Qiao ZA, Striolo A, Cole D. Effects of water on the stochastic motions of propane confined in MCM-41-S pores. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:25035-25046. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cp04741g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) and molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) reveal the effects of water on the structure and dynamics of propane confined in 1.5 nm wide cylindrical pores of MCM-41-S.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddharth Gautam
- School of Earth Sciences
- The Ohio State University
- 275 Mendenhall Laboratory
- 125 S Oval Mall
- Columbus
| | - Tran Thi Bao Le
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University College London
- London WC1E 7JE
- UK
| | - Gernot Rother
- Chemical Sciences Division
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Oak Ridge
- USA
| | - Niina Jalarvo
- Neutron Science Directorate
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Oak Ridge
- USA
| | - Tingting Liu
- School of Earth Sciences
- The Ohio State University
- 275 Mendenhall Laboratory
- 125 S Oval Mall
- Columbus
| | - Eugene Mamontov
- Neutron Science Directorate
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Oak Ridge
- USA
| | - Sheng Dai
- Chemical Sciences Division
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Oak Ridge
- USA
| | - Zhen-An Qiao
- Chemical Sciences Division
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Oak Ridge
- USA
| | - Alberto Striolo
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University College London
- London WC1E 7JE
- UK
| | - David Cole
- School of Earth Sciences
- The Ohio State University
- 275 Mendenhall Laboratory
- 125 S Oval Mall
- Columbus
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22
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Loganathan N, Bowers GM, Ngouana Wakou BF, Kalinichev AG, Kirkpatrick RJ, Yazaydin AO. Understanding methane/carbon dioxide partitioning in clay nano- and meso-pores with constant reservoir composition molecular dynamics modeling. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:6917-6924. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cp00851a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
CRC-MD simulations show that nanopores in shales bounded by clay minerals have a strong preference for CO2 relative to CH4.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Geoffrey M. Bowers
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- St. Mary's College of Maryland
- St. Mary's City
- USA
| | - Brice F. Ngouana Wakou
- Laboratoire SUBATECH (UMR 6457 – Institut Mines-Télécom Atlantique, Université de Nantes, CNRS/IN2P3)
- Nantes
- France
| | - Andrey G. Kalinichev
- Laboratoire SUBATECH (UMR 6457 – Institut Mines-Télécom Atlantique, Université de Nantes, CNRS/IN2P3)
- Nantes
- France
| | - R. James Kirkpatrick
- Department of Chemistry
- Michigan State University
- East Lansing
- USA
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
| | - A. Ozgur Yazaydin
- Department of Chemistry
- Michigan State University
- East Lansing
- USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering
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23
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Zhong J, Abedini A, Xu L, Xu Y, Qi Z, Mostowfi F, Sinton D. Nanomodel visualization of fluid injections in tight formations. NANOSCALE 2018; 10:21994-22002. [PMID: 30452051 DOI: 10.1039/c8nr06937a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The transport and phase change of a complex fluid mixture under nanoconfinement is of fundamental importance in nanoscience, and limits the recovery efficiency from tight oil reservoirs (<10%). Herein, through experiments and supporting theory we characterize the transport and phase change of a nanoconfined complex fluid mixture. Our nanofluidic platform, nanomodel, replicates shale reservoirs in terms of mean pore size (∼100 nm), permeability (∼μD) and porosity (∼10%). We screen conditions for the most promising shale EOR strategies, directly quantifying their pore-scale efficiency and underlying mechanisms. We find that immiscible gas (N2) flooding presents a prohibitively large capillary pressure threshold (∼2 MPa). Miscible (CO2) gas flooding eliminates this threshold leading to film-wise stable oil displacement with high recovery efficiency. Strong capillary forces present barriers as well as opportunities for recovery strategies unique to nanoporous reservoirs by transitioning from a miscible to an immiscible condition locally within the reservoir. These results quantify the fundamental transport and phase change mechanisms applicable to nanoconfined complex fluids, with direct implications in unconventional oil as well as nanoporous media more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Zhong
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S3G8 Canada.
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24
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Yu X, Tang W, Zhao T, Jin Z, Zhao S, Liu H. Confinement Effect on Molecular Conformation of Alkanes in Water-Filled Cavitands: A Combined Quantum/Classical Density Functional Theory Study. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2018; 34:13491-13496. [PMID: 30350710 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b02209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The depletion force exerted on an alkane molecule from surrounding solvent may greatly alter its conformation. Such a behavior is closely related to the selective molecular recognition, molecular sensors, self-assembly, and so on. Herein, we report a multiscale theoretical study on the conformational change of a single alkane molecule confined in water-filled cavitands, in which the quantum and classical density functional theories (DFTs) are combined to determine the grand potential of alkane-water system. Specifically, the intrinsic free energy of the alkane molecule is tackled by quantum DFT, while the solvent effect arising from the solvent density inhomogeneity in confined space is addressed by classical DFT. By varying the alkane chain length, pore size, and wettability of inner pore surface, we find that pore confinement and hydrophilic inner surface facilitate the alkane conformational change from extended state to helical state, which becomes more significant as the alkane chain length increases. Our findings, which are in line with previous experimental observations, provide not only the microscopic mechanism but also theoretical guidance for elaborately manipulating molecular conformation at the nanoscale.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Zhehui Jin
- School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Alberta , Edmonton AB T6G 1H9 , Canada
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25
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Zhong J, Zhao Y, Lu C, Xu Y, Jin Z, Mostowfi F, Sinton D. Nanoscale Phase Measurement for the Shale Challenge: Multicomponent Fluids in Multiscale Volumes. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2018; 34:9927-9935. [PMID: 30074806 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Hydrocarbon recovery from shale reservoirs provides an increasing share of world energy. These resources are multicomponent fluid mixtures within multiscale geometries, and understanding their associated phase-change thermodynamics presents an array of challenges for experimentalists, theorists, operators, and policy makers. Here, we quantify hydrocarbon mixture phase behavior via direct imaging of connected channels spanning 4 orders of magnitude (10 nm to 10 μm) with supporting density functional theory. The methane/propane mixture dew point shifts, with early condensation of heavy components in nanopores because of a combination of capillarity and competitive surface adsorption. The bubble point in nanoconfinement is found to be deeply suppressed (∼3-fold), to below the bulk dew point of the original mixture, because of the exchange of mixture components with larger connected volumes. The trapping of the heaviest components of hydrocarbon mixtures within the smallest connected pores has implications for shale operations, reserve estimation, and ultimately energy security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Zhong
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering , University of Toronto , 5 King's College Road , Toronto M5S 3G8 , Ontario , Canada
| | - Yinuo Zhao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Alberta , 9211 - 116 Street NW , Edmonton , Alberta T6G 1H9 , Canada
| | - Chang Lu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Alberta , 9211 - 116 Street NW , Edmonton , Alberta T6G 1H9 , Canada
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering , University of Toronto , 5 King's College Road , Toronto M5S 3G8 , Ontario , Canada
| | - Zhehui Jin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Alberta , 9211 - 116 Street NW , Edmonton , Alberta T6G 1H9 , Canada
| | - Farshid Mostowfi
- Schlumberger-Doll Research , 1 Hampshire Street , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02139 , United States
| | - David Sinton
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering , University of Toronto , 5 King's College Road , Toronto M5S 3G8 , Ontario , Canada
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26
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Chen HC, Liu YC. Creating functional water by treating excited gold nanoparticles for the applications of green chemistry, energy and medicine: A review. J IND ENG CHEM 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2017.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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27
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Akbari A, Meragawi SE, Martin ST, Corry B, Shamsaei E, Easton CD, Bhattacharyya D, Majumder M. Solvent Transport Behavior of Shear Aligned Graphene Oxide Membranes and Implications in Organic Solvent Nanofiltration. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:2067-2074. [PMID: 29251906 PMCID: PMC10707417 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b11777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Solvent transport in membranes composed of stacked sheets of graphene oxide (GO) with molecular scale channels and a complex arrangement of hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains is not well understood. Here, we observe that the interlayer space between GO sheets expands in different solvents without disturbing the membrane integrity and is typically larger in aqueous media compared to nonaqueous media. However, the membranes have a tighter molecule sieving feature in aqueous media as demonstrated by lower permeance and higher solute rejection arising from interfacial water layers "sticking" to charged polar groups. As a result of this polar interaction, the permeance of polar solvents in GO membrane scales inversely to the polarity of the solvent, which is contrary to other polymeric and ceramic hydrophilic membranes and also scales inversely to the viscosity of solvents as per continuum expectations. We highlight the extended solvent-handling space of GO membranes, such as in polar protic, polar aprotic, and nonpolar solvents, demonstrating versatility over a commercial nanofiltration membrane, and we predict exciting new applications in advanced separation engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abozar Akbari
- Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Sally E. Meragawi
- Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Samuel T. Martin
- Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Ben Corry
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | - Ezzatollah Shamsaei
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Christopher D. Easton
- CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Bayview Avenue, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Dibakar Bhattacharyya
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Mainak Majumder
- Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- ARC Research Hub for Graphene Enabled Industry Transformation, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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28
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Ho TA, Ilgen A. Density Fluctuation in Aqueous Solutions and Molecular Origin of Salting-Out Effect for CO 2. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:11485-11491. [PMID: 29072910 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b09215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Using molecular dynamics simulation, we studied the density fluctuations and cavity formation probabilities in aqueous solutions and their effect on the hydration of CO2. With increasing salt concentration, we report an increased probability of observing a larger than the average number of species in the probe volume. Our energetic analyses indicate that the van der Waals and electrostatic interactions between CO2 and aqueous solutions become more favorable with increasing salt concentration, favoring the solubility of CO2 (salting in). However, due to the decreasing number of cavities forming when salt concentration is increased, the solubility of CO2 decreases. The formation of cavities was found to be the primary control on the dissolution of gas, and is responsible for the observed CO2 salting-out effect. Our results provide the fundamental understanding of the density fluctuation in aqueous solutions and the molecular origin of the salting-out effect for real gas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuan Anh Ho
- Geochemistry Department, Sandia National Laboratories , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Anastasia Ilgen
- Geochemistry Department, Sandia National Laboratories , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
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29
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Apostolopoulou M, Day R, Hull R, Stamatakis M, Striolo A. A kinetic Monte Carlo approach to study fluid transport in pore networks. J Chem Phys 2017; 147:134703. [PMID: 28987117 DOI: 10.1063/1.4985885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanism of fluid migration in porous networks continues to attract great interest. Darcy's law (phenomenological continuum theory), which is often used to describe macroscopically fluid flow through a porous material, is thought to fail in nano-channels. Transport through heterogeneous and anisotropic systems, characterized by a broad distribution of pores, occurs via a contribution of different transport mechanisms, all of which need to be accounted for. The situation is likely more complicated when immiscible fluid mixtures are present. To generalize the study of fluid transport through a porous network, we developed a stochastic kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model. In our lattice model, the pore network is represented as a set of connected finite volumes (voxels), and transport is simulated as a random walk of molecules, which "hop" from voxel to voxel. We simulated fluid transport along an effectively 1D pore and we compared the results to those expected by solving analytically the diffusion equation. The KMC model was then implemented to quantify the transport of methane through hydrated micropores, in which case atomistic molecular dynamic simulation results were reproduced. The model was then used to study flow through pore networks, where it was able to quantify the effect of the pore length and the effect of the network's connectivity. The results are consistent with experiments but also provide additional physical insights. Extension of the model will be useful to better understand fluid transport in shale rocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Apostolopoulou
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, United Kingdom
| | - R Day
- Halliburton, Building 4, Chiswick Park 566, London W4 5YE, United Kingdom
| | - R Hull
- Halliburton, 3000 N Sam Houston Pkwy E, Houston, Texas 77032, USA
| | - M Stamatakis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, United Kingdom
| | - A Striolo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, United Kingdom
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30
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Weiß RG, Setny P, Dzubiella J. Principles for Tuning Hydrophobic Ligand–Receptor Binding Kinetics. J Chem Theory Comput 2017; 13:3012-3019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.7b00216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Gregor Weiß
- Institut
für Physik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Newtonstr. 15, D-12489 Berlin, Germany
- Institut
für Weiche Materie and Funktionale Materialen, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Hahn-Meitner Platz 1, D-14109 Berlin, Germany
| | - Piotr Setny
- Centre
of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joachim Dzubiella
- Institut
für Physik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Newtonstr. 15, D-12489 Berlin, Germany
- Institut
für Weiche Materie and Funktionale Materialen, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Hahn-Meitner Platz 1, D-14109 Berlin, Germany
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31
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Bagusetty A, Choudhury P, Saidi WA, Derksen B, Gatto E, Johnson JK. Facile Anhydrous Proton Transport on Hydroxyl Functionalized Graphane. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2017; 118:186101. [PMID: 28524689 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.118.186101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Graphane functionalized with hydroxyl groups is shown to rapidly conduct protons under anhydrous conditions through a contiguous network of hydrogen bonds. Density functional theory calculations predict remarkably low barriers to diffusion of protons along a 1D chain of surface hydroxyls. Diffusion is controlled by the local rotation of hydroxyl groups, a mechanism that is very different from that found in 1D water wires in confined nanopores or in bulk water. The proton mean square displacement in the 1D chain was observed to follow Fickian diffusion rather than the expected single-file mobility. A charge analysis reveals that the charge on the proton is essentially equally shared by all hydrogens bound to oxygens, effectively delocalizing the proton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Bagusetty
- Computational Modeling and Simulation Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Pabitra Choudhury
- Department of Chemical Engineering, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, USA
| | - Wisssam A Saidi
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Bridget Derksen
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Elizabeth Gatto
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - J Karl Johnson
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
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32
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Gautam S, Le T, Striolo A, Cole D. Molecular dynamics simulations of propane in slit shaped silica nano-pores: direct comparison with quasielastic neutron scattering experiments. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:32320-32332. [DOI: 10.1039/c7cp05715f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
MD simulations reveal the origin of anomalous pressure dependence of propane diffusion in silica mesopores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddharth Gautam
- School of Earth Sciences
- The Ohio State University
- Columbus 43210
- USA
| | - Thu Le
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University College London
- London WC1E 6BT
- UK
| | - Alberto Striolo
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University College London
- London WC1E 6BT
- UK
| | - David Cole
- School of Earth Sciences
- The Ohio State University
- Columbus 43210
- USA
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Bollinger JA, Carmer J, Jain A, Truskett TM. Impact of solvent granularity and layering on tracer hydrodynamics in confinement. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:9561-9574. [PMID: 27841422 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm02093c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Classic hydrodynamic arguments establish that when a spherical tracer particle is suspended between parallel walls, tracer-wall coupling mediated by the solvent will cause the tracer to exhibit position-dependent diffusivity. We investigate how the diffusivity profiles of confined tracers are impacted by the diameter size-ratio of the tracer to solvent: starting from the classic limit of infinite size-ratio (i.e., continuum solvent), we consider size-ratios of four or less to examine how hydrodynamic predictions are disrupted for systems where the tracer and solvent are of similar scale. We use computer simulations and techniques based on the Fokker-Planck formalism to calculate the diffusivity profiles of hard-sphere tracer particles in hard-sphere solvents, focusing on the dynamics perpendicular to the walls. Given wall separations of several tracer diameters, we first consider confinement between hard walls, where anisotropic structuring at the solvent lengthscale generates inhomogeneity in the tracer free-energy landscape and undermines hydrodynamic predictions locally. We then introduce confining planes that we term transparent walls, which restrict tracer and solvent center-accessibilities while completely eliminating static anisotropy, and reveal position-dependent signatures in tracer diffusivity solely attributable to confinement. With or without suppressing static heterogeneity, we find that tracer diffusivity increasingly deviates on a local basis from hydrodynamic predictions at smaller size-ratios. However, hydrodynamic theory still approximately captures spatially-averaged dynamics across the pores even for very small tracer-solvent size-ratios over a wide range of solvent densities and wall separations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A Bollinger
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
| | - James Carmer
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
| | - Avni Jain
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
| | - Thomas M Truskett
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Striolo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
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