Molecular Simulations of CO2 and H2 Sorption into Ionic Liquid 1-n-Hexyl-3-methylimidazolium Bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([hmim][Tf2N]) Confined in Carbon Nanotubes

Conductivity of Ionic Liquids In the Bulk and during Infiltration in Nanopores

The conductivity of ionic liquids (ILs) in nanopores is essential when considering their application as materials for energy. However, no consensus has been reached about the influence of confinement on the mobility of the ions. A series of ILs bearing the same cation, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ([BMIM]+), and six different anions ([Cl]-, [Br]-, [I]-, [BF4]-, [PF6]-, and [TFSI]-) with radii from 0.168 to 0.326 nm were investigated with respect to their self-assembly, the thermodynamics, and the ionic conductivity in the bulk, during flow and under confinement in cylindrical nanopores with sizes in the range from 400 to 25 nm. In the bulk, the [BMIM]+[X]- exhibits weak ordering as a result of cation-anion correlations (charge alteration peak), and nanophase separation of polar/apolar groups. Liquid-to-glass temperatures were found to differ by ∼50 K, their viscosities by a factor of ∼270, and their conductivities by a factor of 24 (all at a temperature of 303 K). Electrostatic interactions were largely responsible for variations in the glass temperature, the viscosity, and the conductivity. Confined ILs behave differently from the bulk. The majority of ILs in the bulk were prone to crystallization during heating but were unable to crystallize in the smaller pores. Changes in dc-conductivity were used as markers of the phase state. This allowed the construction of the effective phase diagrams under confinement. The ILs penetrate the pores with an effective viscosity of the order of their viscosity in their bulk state. However, within the pores the dc-conductivity was reduced relative to bulk, indicating the immobilization of ions at the pore walls. Hydrophobization of the pore walls by hexamethyldisilazane could partially restore the conductivity. ILs are model systems where the phase state and ion mobility can be controlled by confinement.

Investigation of unified impact of Ti adatom and N doping on hydrogen gas adsorption capabilities of defected graphene sheets

In this work, we studied the hydrogen adsorption capabilities of functionalized graphene sheets containing a variety of defects (D-G) via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations that govern the mechanisms involved in hydrogen adsorption. Specifically, the graphene sheets containing monovacancy (MV), Stone-Wales (SW), and multiple double vacancy (DV) defects were functionalized with Ti and N atoms to enhance their hydrogen adsorption capacity. We measured the adsorption capacities of the N-/D-G sheets with varying concentrations of Ti adatoms at 300 K and 77 K temperatures and various pressures. Our study revealed that the increasing concentration of Ti adatoms on the D-G sheets led to a significant improvement in the hydrogen adsorption capacity of the graphene sheets. The DV(III)-G sheets showed the maximum adsorption capacity at 300 K because the DV(III)-G sheets had a small number of large-sized pores that bind hydrogen with high binding energy. Thus, hydrogen remained adsorbed even at higher temperatures (300 K). The N doping on the D-G sheets initially reduced their hydrogen adsorption capabilities; however, the N-D-G sheets enhanced their hydrogen adsorption capacity with the increasing concentrations of Ti adatoms. Compared to all other defect types, the Ti-N-DV(III)-G sheet with a Ti concentration of 10.5% showed a hydrogen uptake of 5.5 wt% at 300 K and 100 bar pressure. Thus, the N doping and Ti implantations improved the hydrogen storage capabilities of the graphene sheets, and these findings helped design solid-state hydrogen storage systems operating at ambient conditions and moderate pressure ranges.

Investigation of thermodynamics, and structural, dynamical, and electrical properties of polyoxometalate ionic liquid confined into carbon nanotubes during the melting process using molecular dynamics simulation

Understanding the properties of ionic liquids confined into nano-pores is required to use ionic liquids for many applications such as electrolytes for energy storage in capacitors and solar cells. Recently, polyoxometalate ionic liquids have attracted much attention for their potential applications in electrochemistry, catalysis, and nanotechnology. In this work, we have performed MD simulations on 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Keggin ([emim]₃[PW₁₂O₄₀]) confined into armchair (20,20) CNTs to study the thermal properties and melting process. Changes in the simulated results of configurational energy of confined polyoxometallate IL indicated that the melting range of the confined polyoxometalate IL is about 650-750 K. Heat capacity at constant volume of the confined IL is about 2 (cal K^-1 mol^-1) which shows sharp changes around the melting range. The average number of hydrogen bonds (〈HB〉) of the confined IL is about 2.8 which also presents sharp changes around the melting range. The ion conductivity and self-diffusion coefficient of [emim]₃[PW₁₂O₄₀] IL also present a sharp maximum of 25 (S m^-1) and 6 × 10^-10 (m² s^-1) at the melting point. Our results did not show a significant hysteresis in the melting process and therefore, the process is reversible. Our simulation also indicated that the confinement of the polyoxometallate IL into the CNT increases its thermal stability and melting point. Our simulations also indicated that the type of CNT configuration has a small effect on the melting point of the confined polyoxometallate IL.

Screening ionic liquids for developing advanced immobilization technology for CO2 separation

Developing immobilized-ionic liquids (ILs) sorbents is important for CO2 separation, and prior theoretically screening ILs is desirable considering the huge number of ILs. In this study, the compressibility of ILs was proposed as a new and additional index for screening ILs, and the developed predictive theoretical model, i.e., electrolyte perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory, was used to predict the properties for a wide variety of ILs in a wide temperature and pressure range to provide systematic data. In screening, firstly, the isothermal compressibilities of 272 ILs were predicted at pressures ranging from 1 to 6,000 bar and temperatures ranging from 298.15 to 323.15 K, and then 30 ILs were initially screened. Subsequently, the CO2 absorption capacities in these 30 ILs at temperatures from 298.15 to 323.15 K and pressures up to 50 bar were predicted, and 7 ILs were identified. In addition, the CO2 desorption enthalpies in these 7 ILs were estimated for further consideration. The performance of one of the screened ILs was verified with the data determined experimentally, evidencing that the screen is reasonable, and the consideration of IL-compressibility is essential when screening ILs for the immobilized-IL sorbents.

Rheological Characteristics of Ionic Liquids under Nanoconfinement

While the dynamic properties of ionic liquids (ILs) in nanoconfinement play a crucial role in the performance of IL-based electrochemical and mechanical devices, experimental work mostly falls short at reporting "solid-like" versus "liquid-like" behavior of confined ILs. The present work is the first to conduct frequency-sweep oscillatory-shear rheology on IL nanofilms, reconciling the solid-versus-liquid debate and revealing the importance of shear rate in the behavior. We disentangle and analyze the viscoelasticity of nanoconfined ILs and shed light on their relaxation mechanisms. Furthermore, a master curve describes the scaling of the dynamic behavior of four (non-hydrogen-bonding) ILs under nanoconfinement and reveals the role of the compressibility of the flow units.

Structure and dynamics of nanoconfined water and aqueous solutions

This review is devoted to discussing recent progress on the structure, thermodynamic, reactivity, and dynamics of water and aqueous systems confined within different types of nanopores, synthetic and biological. Currently, this is a branch of water science that has attracted enormous attention of researchers from different fields interested to extend the understanding of the anomalous properties of bulk water to the nanoscopic domain. From a fundamental perspective, the interactions of water and solutes with a confining surface dramatically modify the liquid's structure and, consequently, both its thermodynamical and dynamical behaviors, breaking the validity of the classical thermodynamic and phenomenological description of the transport properties of aqueous systems. Additionally, man-made nanopores and porous materials have emerged as promising solutions to challenging problems such as water purification, biosensing, nanofluidic logic and gating, and energy storage and conversion, while aquaporin, ion channels, and nuclear pore complex nanopores regulate many biological functions such as the conduction of water, the generation of action potentials, and the storage of genetic material. In this work, the more recent experimental and molecular simulations advances in this exciting and rapidly evolving field will be reported and critically discussed.

Effects of Ionic Liquid Nanoconfinement on the CO2/CH4 Separation in Poly(vinylidene fluoride)/1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Thiocyanate Membranes

A combined experimental and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation approach was used to investigate the effects of the nanoconfinement of a highly CO₂/CH₄-selective ionic liquid (IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate ([EMIM][SCN]), in porous poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) matrices on the gas separation performance of the resulting membranes. The observed experimental CO₂/CH₄ permselectivity increased by about 46% when the nominal pore diameter in PVDF, which is a measure of nanoconfinement, decreased from 450 to 100 nm, thus demonstrating nanoconfinement improvements of gas separation. MD simulations corroborated these experimental observations and indicated a suppression in the sorption of CH₄ by [EMIM][SCN] when the IL nanoconfinement length decreased within the nonpolar PVDF surfaces. This is consistent with the experimental observation that the CH₄ permeance through the IL confined in nonpolar PVDF is significantly less than the CH₄ permeance through the IL confined in a water-wetting polar formulation of PVDF. The potential of mean force calculations further indicated that CO₂ has more affinity to the nonpolar PVDF surface than CH₄. Also, a charge/density distribution analysis of the IL in the PVDF-confined region revealed a layering of the IL into [EMIM]- and [SCN]-rich regions, where CH₄ was preferentially distributed in the former and CO₂ in the latter. These molecular insights into the nanoconfinement-driven mechanisms in polymer/IL membranes provide a framework for a better molecular design of such membranes for critical gas separation and CO₂ capture applications.

Soft nanoconfinement of ionic liquids in lyotropic liquid crystals

Nanoconfinement of ionic liquids (ILs) influences their physicochemical properties. In this study, we investigate the effect of soft nanoconfinement imposed by lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) on ILs. The LLC ion gels are obtained through self-assembly of a short chain block copolymer (BCP) of polyethylene-block-poly(ethylene oxide), PE-b-PEO, in ILs. The effect of confinement on the interaction of ions with PEO is investigated through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) absorption measurements. The results show that the synergistic effect on the CO₂ absorption capacity of LLC ion gels takes place as a result of confinement. Formation of IL pathways through the LLC increases the CO₂ solubility, absorption capacity, and absorption rate. Increasing the concentration of block copolymer in the LLC structure enhances the dissociation of ILs and consequently lowers CO₂ absorption. Therefore, the competing effects of confinement and IL-PEO interaction control the properties of LLC ion gels.

Hydrogen Bonding Strength Determines Water Diffusivity in Polymer Ionogels

Polymeric ionogels, cross-linked gels swollen by ionic liquids (ILs), are useful vehicles for the release and storage of molecular solutes in separation, delivery, and other applications. Although rapid solute diffusion is often critical for performance, it remains challenging to predict diffusivities across multidimensional composition spaces. Recently, we showed that water (a neutral solute) diffuses through alkyl-methylimidazolium halide ILs by hopping between hydrogen bonding sites on relatively immobile cations. Here, we expand on this activated hopping mechanism in two significant ways. First, we demonstrate that water diffuses through poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate ionogels via the same mechanism at a reduced rate. Second, we hypothesize that the activation energy barrier can be determined from relatively simple ¹H NMR chemical shift measurements of the proton responsible for H-bonding. This relationship enables water's diffusivity in ionogels of this class to be predicted quantitatively, requiring only (1) the composition-dependent diffusivity and Arrhenius behavior of a single IL and (2) ¹H NMR spectra of the ionogels of interest. High-throughput microfluidic Fabry-Perot interferometry measurements verify prediction accuracy across a broad formulation space (four ILs, 0 ≤ x_H2O ≤ 0.7, 0 ≤ ϕ_PEGDA ≤ 0.66). The predictive model may expedite IL-material screening; moreover, it intimates a powerful connection between solute mobility and hydrogen bonding and suggests targets for rational design.

Microstructural and Dynamical Heterogeneities in Ionic Liquids

Ionic liquids (ILs) are a special category of molten salts solely composed of ions with varied molecular symmetry and charge delocalization. The versatility in combining varied cation-anion moieties and in functionalizing ions with different atoms and molecular groups contributes to their peculiar interactions ranging from weak isotropic associations to strong, specific, and anisotropic forces. A delicate interplay among intra- and intermolecular interactions facilitates the formation of heterogeneous microstructures and liquid morphologies, which further contributes to their striking dynamical properties. Microstructural and dynamical heterogeneities of ILs lead to their multifaceted properties described by an inherent designer feature, which makes ILs important candidates for novel solvents, electrolytes, and functional materials in academia and industrial applications. Due to a massive number of combinations of ion pairs with ion species having distinct molecular structures and IL mixtures containing varied molecular solvents, a comprehensive understanding of their hierarchical structural and dynamical quantities is of great significance for a rational selection of ILs with appropriate properties and thereafter advancing their macroscopic functionalities in applications. In this review, we comprehensively trace recent advances in understanding delicate interplay of strong and weak interactions that underpin their complex phase behaviors with a particular emphasis on understanding heterogeneous microstructures and dynamics of ILs in bulk liquids, in mixtures with cosolvents, and in interfacial regions.

Confinement Phenomenon Effect on the CO2 Absorption Working Capacity in Ionic Liquids Immobilized into Porous Solid Supports

In this work, the CO₂ absorption working capacity and solubility in ionic liquids immobilized into porous solid materials (substrates) were studied both experimentally and theoretically. The CO₂ absorption working capacity in the immobilized ionic liquids was measured experimentally. It was found that the CO₂ absorption working capacity and solubility increased up to 10-fold compared to that in the bulk ionic liquids when the film thickness was nearly 2.5 nm in the [HMIm][NTf₂] immobilized in the P25. Meanwhile, a new model was proposed to describe the Gibbs free energy of CO₂ in the immobilized ionic liquids, and both macro- and microanalyses of the CO₂ solubility in the confined ionic liquids were conducted. The theoretical investigations reveal that the substrate has a crucial effect on the gas solubility in the ionic liquid immobilized into the substrates, and the model performance was approved with a consideration of the substrate effect.

CO2 Absorption in the Ionic Liquids Immobilized on Solid Surface by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Based on our previous experimental research, we studied the absorption of CO₂ in the ionic liquid, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([hmim][Tf₂N]), immobilized on TiO₂ [rutile (110) ] with different thickness by molecular dynamics simulation. The effects of the properties (hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity) of solid interfaces were also studied with IL immobilized on graphite and TiO₂, respectively. We studied the influence of the thickness of IL immobilized on TiO₂ on the absorption of CO₂ via structural and dynamical properties. The results show that the self-diffusion coefficients of IL and CO₂ increase as the thickness of immobilized IL decreases. And the CO₂ absorption capacity increases as the thickness of immobilized IL decreases as well. Additionally, more CO₂ molecules are absorbed in the region near the solid interface as the thickness of IL decreases. For IL immobilized on graphite, the self-diffusion coefficients of cations and anions are larger than that of IL immobilized on TiO₂ with the same thickness. They are also larger than nonimmobilized cations and anions.Besides, the CO₂ absorption capacity of IL immobilized on TiO₂ is the largest compared with IL immobilized on graphite and nonimmobilized IL with the same thickness. From our simulation work, we try to explore the microscopic mechanism that is unexplored by experimental work, and we found the important role of IL/solid interface for CO₂ absorption in immobilized ILs.

Polymerization of Monomeric Ionic Liquid Confined within Uniaxial Alumina Pores as a New Way of Obtaining Materials with Enhanced Conductivity

Broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) have been employed to probe dynamics and charge transport of 1-butyl-3-vinylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([bvim][NTf₂]) confined in native uniaxial AAO pores as well as to study kinetics of radical polymerization of the examined compound as a function of the degree of confinement. Subsequently, the electronic conductivity of the produced polymers was investigated. As observed, polymerization carried out at T = 363 K proceeds faster under confinement with some saturation effect observed for the sample in pores of smaller diameter. Obtained results were discussed in the context of the very recent reports showing that the free volume of the confined material is higher with respect to the bulk one. It was also noted that conductivity of poly[bvim][NTf₂] is significantly higher with respect to the macromolecules obtained upon bulk polymerization. Moreover, charge transport of the confined macromolecules is even higher when compared to the bulk monomeric ionic liquid at some thermodynamic conditions. Additionally, the molecular weight, M_w, of the confined-synthesized polymers is significantly higher with respect to the bulk-synthesized material. Interestingly, both parameters, (i) the enhancement of σ_dc and (ii) the increase in M_w, can be tuned and controlled by the application of the appropriate confinement. Consequently, those results are quite promising in the context of development of the fabrication of polymerized ionic liquids (PILs) nanomaterials with unique properties and morphologies, which can be further easily applied in the field of nanotechnology.

Charge Transport of Polyester Ether Ionomers in Unidirectional Silica Nanopores

Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy is employed to investigate charge transport properties of two polyester ether ionomers in the bulk state and when confined in unidirectional nanoporous membranes (average pore diameter = 7.5 nm). Under nanometric confinement in nonsilanized pores, the macroscopic transport quantities (dc conductivity and characteristic frequency rate) are lower by about 1.4 decades compared to the bulk. The remarkable decrease of transport quantities in nonsilanized nanoporous membranes can be quantitatively explained by considering the temperature dependence of the interfacial layer between the ionomer and the silica membrane surfaces. On the other hand, an enhancement of dc conductivity is observed when the surfaces of the pores are treated with a nonpolar organosilane. This effect becomes more pronounced at lower temperatures and is attributed to slight changes in molecular packing density caused by the two-dimensional geometrical constraint.

Importance of Ion Packing on the Dynamics of Ionic Liquids during Micropore Charging

Molecular simulations of the diffusion of EMIM(+) and TFSI(-) ions in slit-shaped micropores under conditions similar to those during charging show that in pores that accommodate only a single layer of ions, ions diffuse increasingly faster as the pore becomes charged (with diffusion coefficients even reaching ∼5 × 10(-9) m(2)/s), unless the pore becomes very highly charged. In pores wide enough to fit more than one layer of ions, ion diffusion is slower than in the bulk and changes modestly as the pore becomes charged. Analysis of these results revealed that the fast (or slow) diffusion of ions inside a micropore during charging is correlated most strongly with the dense (or loose) ion packing inside the pore. The molecular details of the ions and the precise width of the pores modify these trends weakly, except when the pore is so narrow that the ion conformation relaxation is strongly constrained by the pore walls.

Amine-rich ionic liquid grafted graphene for sub-ambient carbon dioxide adsorption

The present study describes the synthesis of the triazolium based amine-rich ionic liquid (ARIL), namely, 3,5-diamino-1-methyl-1,2,4-triazolium tetrafluoroborate grafted graphene (HEG/ARIL), and its application in carbon dioxide adsorption.

Ionic liquid functionalization – an effective way to tune carbon dioxide adsorption properties of carbon nanotubes

In this research, the influence of non-covalent functionalization by ionic liquids on carbon dioxide (CO₂) adsorption–desorption properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and partially exfoliated MWNTs (PEMWNTs) has been studied.

Enhanced gas absorption in the ionic liquid 1-n-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([hmim][Tf2N]) confined in silica slit pores: a molecular simulation study

Two-dimensional NPxyT and isostress-osmotic (N2PxyTf1) Monte Carlo simulations were used to compute the density and gas absorption properties of the ionic liquid (IL) 1-n-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([hmim][Tf2N]) confined in silica slit pores (25-45 Å). Self-diffusivity values for both gas and IL were calculated from NVE molecular dynamics simulations using both smooth and atomistic potential models for silica. The simulations showed that the molar volume of [hmim][Tf2N] confined in 25-45-Å silica slit pores is 12-31% larger than that of the bulk IL at 313-573 K and 1 bar. The amounts of CO2, H2, and N2 absorbed in the confined IL are 1.1-3 times larger than those in the bulk IL because of the larger molar volume of the confined IL compared to the bulk IL. The CO2, N2, and H2 molecules are generally absorbed close to the silica wall where the IL density is very low. This arrangement causes the self-diffusivities of these gases in the confined IL to be 2-8 times larger than those in the bulk IL at 298-573 K. The solubilities of water in the confined and bulk ILs are similar, which is likely due to strong water interactions with [hmim][Tf2N] through hydrogen bonding, so that the molar volume of the confined IL plays a less important role in determining the H2O solubility. Water molecules are largely absorbed in the IL-rich region rather than close to the silica wall. The self-diffusivities of water correlate with those of the confined IL. The confined IL exhibits self-diffusivities larger than those of the bulk IL at lower temperatures, but smaller than those of the bulk IL at higher temperatures. The findings from our simulations are consistent with available experimental data for similar confined IL systems.

Molecular Order and Dynamics of Tris(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate Confined in Uni-Directional Nanopores

Infrared Transition Moment Orientational Analysis (IR–TMOA) and Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS) are combined to study molecular order and dynamics of the glass-forming liquid Tris(2-ethylhexy)phosphate (TEHP) confined in uni-directional nanopores with diameters of 4, 8, and 10.4 nm. The former method enables one to determine the molecular order parameter of specific IR transition moments. It is observed that the central P=O moiety of TEHP has a weak orientational effect (molecular order parameter S z = −0.1 ± 0.04) due the nanoporous confinement, in contrast to the terminal C–H groups. BDS traces the dynamic glass transition of the guest molecules in a broad spectral range and at widely varying temperature. An enhancement of the mobility takes place when approaching the glass transition temperature and becomes more pronounced with decreasing pore diameter. This is attributed to a slight reduction of the density of the confined liquid caused by the 2-dimensional geometrical constraint.

Porous titania ionic nanoparticle networks

Titania nanoparticle networks were synthesized by the reaction between imidazole and alkyl halide functionalized anatase nanoparticles. The reaction produced imidazolium bridging units between the nanoparticles that were observed by the means of CP MAS (15)N NMR spectroscopy. The porous characteristics of the obtained nanoparticle network were investigated with nitrogen sorption experiments. From these experiments, a high surface area originating from small mesopores was observed. These results were confirmed by small-angle X-ray diffraction experiments.

Molecular simulations of the electric double layer structure, differential capacitance, and charging kinetics for N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide at graphite electrodes

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed on N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (pyr(13)FSI) room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) confined between graphite electrodes as a function of applied potential at 393 and 453 K using an accurate force field developed in this work. The electric double layer (EDL) structure and differential capacitance (DC) of pyr(13)FSI was compared with the results of the previous study of a similar RTIL pyr(13)bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (pyr(13)TFSI) with a significantly larger anion [ Vatamanu, J.; Borodin, O.; Smith, G. D. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 14825]. Intriguingly, the smaller size of the FSI anion compared to TFSI did not result in a significant increase of the DC on the positive electrode. Instead, a 30% higher DC was observed on the negative electrode for pyr(13)FSI compared to pyr(13)TFSI. The larger DC observed on the negative electrode for pyr(13)FSI compared to pyr(13)TFSI was associated with two structural features of the EDL: (a) a closer approach of FSI compared to TFSI to the electrode surface and (b) a faster rate (vs potential decrease) of anion desorption from the electrode surface for FSI compared to TFSI. Additionally, the limiting behavior of DC at large applied potentials was investigated. Finally, we show that constant potential simulations indicate time scales of hundreds of picoseconds required for electrode charge/discharge and EDL formation.