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Chogani A, Plümper O. Decoding the nanoscale porosity in serpentinites from multidimensional electron microscopy and discrete element modelling. CONTRIBUTIONS TO MINERALOGY AND PETROLOGY. BEITRAGE ZUR MINERALOGIE UND PETROLOGIE 2023; 178:78. [PMID: 38616804 PMCID: PMC11008076 DOI: 10.1007/s00410-023-02062-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Serpentinites, widespread in Earth's lithosphere, exhibit inherent nanoporosity that may significantly impact their geochemical behaviour. This study provides a comprehensive investigation into the characteristics, scale dependence, and potential implications of nanoporosity in lizardite-dominated serpentinites. Through a combination of multidimensional imaging techniques and molecular-dynamics-based discrete element modelling, we reveal that serpentinites function as nanoporous media with pore sizes predominantly less than 100 nm. Crystallographic relationships between olivine, serpentine, and nanoporosity are explored, indicating a lack of significant correlations. Instead, stochastic growth and random packing of serpentine grains within mesh cores may result in interconnected porosity. The analysis of pore morphology suggests that the irregular pore shapes align with the crystal form of serpentine minerals. Furthermore, the nanoporosity within brucite-rich layers at the serpentine-olivine interface is attributed to delamination along weak van der Waals planes, while pore formation within larger brucite domains likely results from low-temperature alteration processes. The fractal nature of the pore size distribution and the potential interconnectivity of porosity across different scales further support the presence of a pervasive nanoporous network within serpentinites. Confinement within these nanopores may introduce unique emergent properties, potentially influencing fluid transport, mineral solubility, and chemical reactions. As such, these processes may have profound implications for the geochemical evolution of serpentinites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Chogani
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Oliver Plümper
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Striolo A, Huang S. Upcoming Transformations in Integrated Energy/Chemicals Sectors: Some Challenges and Several Opportunities. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2022; 126:21527-21541. [PMID: 36605781 PMCID: PMC9806836 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.2c05192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The sociopolitical events over the past few years led to transformative changes in both the energy and chemical sectors. One of the most evident consequences of these events is the significant focus on sustainability. In fact, rather than an engaging discussion within elite social circles, the search for sustainability is now one of the hard requirements investors impose on companies. The concept of sustainability itself has developed since its inception, and now it encompasses environmental as well as socioeconomic aspects. The major players in the energy and chemical sectors seem to embrace these changes and the related challenges; in most cases, tangible ambitious goals have been proposed. For example, bp aims "to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner, and to help the world get to net zero". Although tragic events such as the war in Ukraine directly affect global supply chains, leading to some reconsiderations in medium-term industrial and political strategies, trends and public demands seem determined to pursue ambitious sustainable goals, as tangible as the European Union's "Fit for 55" climate package, approved on May 12, 2022, which effectively bans internal combustion engines for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles from 2035. These trends will likely lead to profound changes in both the chemical and energy sectors. While some predictions may miss the target, speculating about upcoming challenges and opportunities could help us prepare for the future. This is the purpose of this brief Perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Striolo
- School
of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University College
London, London, U.K. WC1E 7JE
| | - Shanshan Huang
- Applied
Sciences, Innovation and Engineering, BP
International Ltd., Sunbury-On-Thames, U.K. TW16 7LN
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Faizan M, Pawar R. Novel Insight into the Molecular Frustration of IFLPs Based on Boron-Functionalized Pyrimidines for CO 2 Sequestration. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:8633-8644. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c05400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohmmad Faizan
- Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology Warangal (NITW), Warangal506004, Telangana, India
| | - Ravinder Pawar
- Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology Warangal (NITW), Warangal506004, Telangana, India
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Nanoconfinement facilitates reactions of carbon dioxide in supercritical water. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5932. [PMID: 36209274 PMCID: PMC9547913 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33696-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The reactions of CO2 in water under extreme pressure-temperature conditions are of great importance to the carbon storage and transport below Earth’s surface, which substantially affect the carbon budget in the atmosphere. Previous studies focus on the CO2(aq) solutions in the bulk phase, but underground aqueous solutions are often confined to the nanoscale, and nanoconfinement and solid-liquid interfaces may substantially affect chemical speciation and reaction mechanisms, which are poorly known on the molecular scale. Here, we apply extensive ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to study aqueous carbon solutions nanoconfined by graphene and stishovite (SiO2) at 10 GPa and 1000 ~ 1400 K. We find that CO2(aq) reacts more in nanoconfinement than in bulk. The stishovite-water interface makes the solutions more acidic, which shifts the chemical equilibria, and the interface chemistry also significantly affects the reaction mechanisms. Our findings suggest that CO2(aq) in deep Earth is more active than previously thought, and confining CO2 and water in nanopores may enhance the efficiency of mineral carbonation. Aqueous CO2 under nanoconfinement is of great importance to the carbon storage and transport in Earth. Here, the authors apply ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to study the effects of confinement and interfaces, and show that that CO(aq) reacts more in nanoconfinement than in bulk.
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Molecular-scale mechanisms of CO2 mineralization in nanoscale interfacial water films. Nat Rev Chem 2022; 6:598-613. [PMID: 37117714 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-022-00418-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The calamitous impacts of unabated carbon emission from fossil-fuel-burning energy infrastructure call for accelerated development of large-scale CO2 capture, utilization and storage technologies that are underpinned by a fundamental understanding of the chemical processes at a molecular level. In the subsurface, rocks rich in divalent metals can react with CO2, permanently sequestering it in the form of stable metal carbonate minerals, with the CO2-H2O composition of the post-injection pore fluid acting as a primary control variable. In this Review, we discuss mechanistic reaction pathways for aqueous-mediated carbonation with carbon mineralization occurring in nanoscale adsorbed water films. In the extreme of pores filled with a CO2-dominant fluid, carbonation reactions are confined to angstrom to nanometre-thick water films coating mineral surfaces, which enable metal cation release, transport, nucleation and crystallization of metal carbonate minerals. Although seemingly counterintuitive, laboratory studies have demonstrated facile carbonation rates in these low-water environments, for which a better mechanistic understanding has come to light in recent years. The overarching objective of this Review is to delineate the unique underlying molecular-scale reaction mechanisms that govern CO2 mineralization in these reactive and dynamic quasi-2D interfaces. We highlight the importance of understanding unique properties in thin water films, such as how water dielectric properties, and consequently ion solvation and hydration behaviour, can change under nanoconfinement. We conclude by identifying important frontiers for future work and opportunities to exploit these fundamental chemical insights for decarbonization technologies in the twenty-first century.
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Faizan M, Pawar R. Cucurbit[7]uril as Nanoreactor for the Fixation of CO
2
with Oxirane: A Density Functional Theory Investigation. ChemistrySelect 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202201315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohmmad Faizan
- Department of Chemistry National Institute of Technology Warangal (NITW) Warangal Telangana 506004 India
| | - Ravinder Pawar
- Department of Chemistry National Institute of Technology Warangal (NITW) Warangal Telangana 506004 India
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Contrasting thermally-induced structural and microstructural evolution of alumino-silicates with tubular and planar arrangements: Case study of halloysite and kaolinite. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2020.126106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Asgar H, Semeykina V, Hunt M, Mohammed S, Kuzmenko I, Zharov I, Gadikota G. Thermally-Induced morphological evolution of spherical silica nanoparticles using in-operando X-ray scattering measurements. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2019.124260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Chai S, Men Y, Wang J, Liu S, Song Q, An W, Kolb G. Boosting CO2 methanation activity on Ru/TiO2 catalysts by exposing (001) facets of anatase TiO2. J CO2 UTIL 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2019.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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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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Furmaniak S, Gauden PA, Patrykiejew A, Miśkiewicz R, Kowalczyk P. The effects of confinement in pores built of folded graphene sheets on the equilibrium of nitrogen monoxide dimerisation reaction. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2019; 31:135001. [PMID: 30654355 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/aaffb3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In the current work we have used reactive Monte Carlo simulations to systematically study the effects of graphene folding on equilibria of NO dimerisation occurring at isolated surfaces and in porous networks built of corrugated graphene sheets. It has been demonstrated that the folding of isolated graphene sheets significantly improves the yield of reactions occurring on their surface. Then, it has also been shown that in slit-like pores formed by the folded graphene sheets the reaction yield depends on the corrugation and arrangement of the pore walls. It has been found that the reaction yield increases when the walls' corrugation is high because of the appearance of narrow regions and/or wedge-like regions in the pores. The condensation of reacting fluid in such places, where the bulges at both walls are close one to another, leads to much higher reaction yield than on the surface of isolated sheets. Thus, we recommended the highly corrugated graphene to control the chemical reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylwester Furmaniak
- Stanisław Staszic University of Applied Sciences in Piła, Podchorążych Street 10, 64-920 Piła, Poland
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Carbon Nanohorns as Reaction Nanochambers - a Systematic Monte Carlo Study. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15407. [PMID: 30337706 PMCID: PMC6194008 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33725-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbon nanohorns (CNHs, one of the newest carbon allotropes) have been subjected to intensive experimental and theoretical studies due to their potential applications. One of such applications can be their use as reaction nanochambers. However, experimental studies on the reaction equilibria under confinement are extremely challenging since accurate measurements of the concentrations of reacting species in pores are a very hard task. So, the main ways to examine such phenomena are theoretical methods (e.g. the reactive Monte Carlo, RxMC). We have presented the first systematic RxMC study on the influence of the CNH’s geometric parameters (the apex angle, the diameter, and the length) on reaction equilibria, taking the nitrogen monoxide dimerisation as an example. All the investigated parameters significantly affect the reaction yield at low and moderate coverages. Short and narrow CNHs have been found to be preferred. However, the key factor influencing the reaction equilibria is the presence of a conical part. Energetics of interactions between the reacting molecules in this fragment of a nanohorn maximises the effects of confinement. In consequence, CNHs have the advantage over their nanotube counterparts of the same diameter. The obtained results have confirmed that CNHs can be considered as potential reaction nanochambers.
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Le TTB, Striolo A, Cole DR. Structural and dynamical properties predicted by reactive force fields simulations for four common pure fluids at liquid and gaseous non-reactive conditions. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2018.1455005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tran Thi Bao Le
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alberto Striolo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - David R. Cole
- School of Earth Sciences, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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14
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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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15
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Furmaniak S, Gauden PA, Kowalczyk P, Patrykiejew A. Monte Carlo study of chemical reaction equilibria in pores of activated carbons. RSC Adv 2017. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ra08992a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Systematic Monte Carlo studies concerning relationships between the porous structure of activated carbons and the equilibria of reactions under confinement are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Piotr A. Gauden
- Physicochemistry of Carbon Materials Research Group
- Faculty of Chemistry
- Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
- 87-100 Toruń
- Poland
| | - Piotr Kowalczyk
- School of Engineering and Information Technology
- Murdoch University
- Australia
| | - Andrzej Patrykiejew
- Department for the Modelling of Physico-Chemical Processes
- Faculty of Chemistry
- Maria Curie Skłodowska University in Lublin
- 20-031 Lublin
- Poland
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