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Ta AT, Daouli A, Ullberg RS, Fonseca E, Proust V, Grandjean A, Hennig RG, Zur Loye HC, Badawi M, Phillpot SR. Incorporating solvent effects in DFT: insights from cation exchange in faujasites. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:14561-14572. [PMID: 38722083 DOI: 10.1039/d4cp00467a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Zeolites are versatile materials renowned for their extra-framework cation exchange capabilities, with applications spanning diverse fields, including nuclear waste treatment. While detailed experimental characterization offers valuable insight, density functional theory (DFT) proves particularly adept at investigating ion exchange in zeolites, owing to its atomic and electronic resolution. However, the prevalent occurrence of zeolitic ion exchange in aqueous environments poses a challenge to conventional DFT modeling, traditionally conducted in a vacuum. This study seeks to enhance zeolite modeling by systematically evaluating predictive differences across varying degrees of aqueous solvent inclusion. Specifically focusing on monovalent cation exchange in Na-X zeolites, we explore diverse modeling approaches. These range from simple dehydrated systems (representing bare reference states in vacuum) to more sophisticated models that incorporate aqueous solvent effects through explicit water molecules and/or a dielectric medium. Through comparative analysis of DFT and semi-empirical DFT approaches, along with their validation against experimental results, our findings underscore the necessity to concurrently consider explicit and implicit solvent effects for accurate prediction of zeolitic ionic exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- An T Ta
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - Ayoub Daouli
- Laboratoire Lorrain de Chimie Moléculaire L2CM, Université de Lorraine, CNRS, F-54000 Nancy, France.
| | - R Seaton Ullberg
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - Eric Fonseca
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - Vanessa Proust
- CEA, DES, ISEC, DMRC, Univ Montpellier, Marcoule, France
| | | | - Richard G Hennig
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - Hans-Conrad Zur Loye
- Center for Hierarchical Waste Form Materials and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, USA
| | - Michael Badawi
- Laboratoire Lorrain de Chimie Moléculaire L2CM, Université de Lorraine, CNRS, F-54000 Nancy, France.
| | - Simon R Phillpot
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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