The vibrational properties of xenon hydrate: An inelastic incoherent neutron scattering study

Computational Analysis of Vibrational Spectra of Hydrogen Bonds in sII and sH Gas Hydrates

The amount of energy in natural gas hydrates is thought to be equivalent to twice that of all other fossil fuels combined. However, economic and safe energy recovery has remained a challenge till now. To develop a novel method of breaking the hydrogen bonds (HBs) surrounding the trapped gas molecules, we investigated the vibrational spectra of the HBs of gas hydrates with structure types II and H. Two models of 576-atom propane-methane sII hydrate and 294-atom neohexane-methane sH hydrate were built. A first-principles density functional theory (DFT) method was employed using the CASTEP package. The simulated spectra were in good agreement with the experimental data. Compared with the partial phonon density of states of guest molecules, we confirmed that the experimental infrared absorption peak in the terahertz region mainly arose from HB vibrations. By removing the components of guest molecules, we found that the theory of two kinds of hydrogen bond vibrational modes applies. The use of a terahertz laser to enable resonance absorption of HBs (at about 6 THz, to be tested) may therefore lead to the rapid melting of clathrate ice and release of guest molecules.

Research progress of hydrate-based CO2separation and capture from gas mixtures

Hydrate-based CO₂separation and capture from gas mixtures containing CO₂has gained growing attention as a new technology for gas separation, and it is of significance for reducing anthropogenic CO₂emissions.

Ordering and dynamics of the central tetrahedron in the 1/1 Zn6Sc periodic approximant to quasicrystal

Periodic approximants to quasicrystals offer a unique opportunity to better understand the structure, physical properties and stabilizing mechanisms of their quasicrystal counterparts. We present a detailed study of the order-disorder phase transition occurring at about 160 K in the Zn(6)Sc cubic approximant to the icosahedral quasicrystal i-MgZnSc. This transition goes along with an anti-parallel ordering of the tetrahedra located at the centres of large atomic clusters, which are packed on a bcc lattice. Single crystal x-ray diffuse scattering shows that the tetrahedra display pre-transitional short range ordering above T(c) (Yamada et al 2012 in preparation). Using quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) we clearly evidence this short range order to be dynamical in nature above T(c). The QENS data are consistent with a model of tetrahedra 'jumping' between almost equivalent positions, which is supported by molecular dynamics simulations. This demonstrates a unique dynamical flexibility of the Zn(6)Sc structure even at room temperature.

Structure and dynamics of empty cages in xenon clathrate hydrate

We performed molecular dynamics calculations of xenon clathrate hydrate to investigate the effects of empty cages on the structure and dynamics of the surrounding lattice. The distinct structure and dynamics of the empty cages, and cages including Xe, which coexist in the lattice, were analyzed. The results show that the ellipsoidal tetrakaidecahedral cage shrinks along the minor (100) axis and expands along the major (100) axis due to the absence of Xe from the cage, whereas the dodecahedral cage shrinks isotropically. These distortions of the empty cages cause a reduction in the lattice constant and an enhancement of the thermal vibrations of the surrounding lattice. The vibrational density of states shows that the hydrogen bonds consisting of the tetrakaidecahedral cage are strengthened by the absence of Xe, whereas those of the dodecahedral cage are weakened. These results show differing mechanisms of guest-host interaction for the two types of cages including Xe. Repulsion is the dominant guest-host interaction for the dodecahedral cage, as proposed by previous studies. For the tetrakaidecahedral cage, however, attractive interaction is dominant along the major (100) axis, whereas repulsive interaction is dominant along the minor (100) axis. The present results suggest that a small number of empty cages can affect not only the local structures but also the macroscopic properties of the crystal. It is concluded that the distortions of the empty cages are one of the important factors governing the density and phase equilibrium of clathrate hydrates.

Methane clathrate: CH4 quantum rotor state dependent rattling potential

In methane hydrate the dominant peak in the density of states above 3 meV represents a rattling mode of the guest molecule CH(4) in the large ice cages. This mode shifts from 6.7 meV at T=4.5 K to T=30 K to 7.14 meV with conversion of CH(4) guest molecules into the tunneling ground state. The less symmetric angular density distribution PsiPsi(*) in the excited rotational state compared to the ground state allows the methane to fit better in the orientation dependent cage potential surface. This leads to a larger average distance to the cage-forming molecules with a weaker potential and a reduced rattling energy. A two state single particle model with characteristic rattling energies of 5.20 meV for pure T-methane and 7.3 meV for pure A-methane weighted by the population factors can fit the data.

Heat capacity of tetrahydrofuran clathrate hydrate and of its components, and the clathrate formation from supercooled melt

We report a thermodynamic study of the formation of tetrahydrofuran clathrate hydrate by explosive crystallization of water-deficient, near stoichiometric, and water-rich solutions, as well as of the heat capacity, C(p), of (i) supercooled tetrahydrofuran-H2O solutions and of the clathrate hydrate, (ii) tetrathydrofuran (THF) liquid, and (iii) supercooled water and the ice formed on its explosive crystallization. In explosive freezing of supercooled solutions at a temperature below 257 K, THF clathrate hydrate formed first. The nucleation temperature depends on the cooling rate, and excess water freezes on further cooling. The clathrate hydrate melts reversibly at 277 K and C(p) increases by 770 J/mol K on melting. The enthalpy of melting is 99.5 kJ/mol and entropy is 358 J/mol K. Molar C(p) of the empty host lattice is less than that of the ice, which is inconsistent with the known lower phonon frequency of H2O in the clathrate lattice. Analysis shows that C(p) of THF and ice are not additive in the clathrate. C(p) of the supercooled THF-H2O solutions is the same as that of water at 247 K, but less at lower temperatures and more at higher temperatures. The difference tends to become constant at 283 K. The results are discussed in terms of the hydrogen-bonding changes between THF and H2O.

Anharmonic motions of Kr in the clathrate hydrate

The anomalous glass-like thermal conductivity of crystalline clathrates has been suggested to be the result of the scattering of thermal phonons of the framework by 'rattling' motions of the guests in the clathrate cages. Using the site-specific (83)Kr nuclear resonant inelastic scattering spectroscopy in combination with conventional incoherent inelastic neutron scattering and molecular-dynamics simulations, we provide unambiguous evidence and characterization of the effects on these guest-host interactions in a structure-II Kr clathrate hydrate. The resonant scattering of phonons led to unprecedented large anharmonic motions of the guest atoms. The anharmonic interaction underlies the anomalous thermal transport in this system. Clathrates are prototypical models for a class of crystalline framework materials with glass-like thermal conductivity. The explanation of the unusual molecular dynamics has a wide implication for the understanding of the thermal properties of disordered solids and structural glasses.

The structure of methane hydrate under geological conditions a combined Rietveld and maximum entropy analysis

We present a study of the structure of a fully deuterated methane hydrate under the geological conditions found in the world's oceans. In situ high-resolution neutron diffraction experiments have been performed at temperatures of 220, 275, and 280 K and a pressure of 100 bar, corresponding to the conditions at 1000 m water depth. The data were analyzed with a combination of Rietveld refinement and maximum entropy methods. From the Rietveld refinement, precise atomic parameters of the host lattice could be determined, indicating increasing distortions of the structure of the cages at elevated temperatures and pressures. Debye-Waller factors of the encaged CD(4) molecules have been found to exceed the values of the Debye-Waller factors of the D(2)O molecules considerably. In the large cage of structure type I the thermal center-of-mass displacements of the guests are 5-10 times larger than those of the water molecules. From the maximum entropy analysis maps of the scattering length density have been obtained, showing details of the vibrational amplitudes of the atoms in methane hydrate. The Debye-Waller factors of all molecules have been found to deviate considerably from a simple spherical geometry.

Guest-host coupling and anharmonicity in clathrate hydrates

We present a review of our work on the dynamics of clathrate hydrates (gas hydrates). The experimental results obtained with inelastic neutron scattering are compared with molecular-dynamics calculations. The vibrations of the guest molecules and their coupling to the cages is found to depend critically on the size, shape and electrostatic properties of the encaged guest. Atoms like xenon, that are large enough to fill the cages, show close-to-harmonic behaviour and couple strongly to the cage vibrations. Small atoms and molecules fully explore the anharmonicities of the potential within the cage, in particular at low frequencies and low temperatures. Their dynamic response is broad in energy and they couple weakly to the cage vibrations. The relevance of the microscopic dynamics for cage stability and the glass-like thermal conductivity is discussed. We equally place the observed dynamic peculiarities into the broader context of vibrations in disordered systems. Raman spectroscopic results on internal guest vibrations at high frequencies reflect also the influence of guest-host interactions and are discussed in the framework of the loose-cage tight-cage model.