Liquid-vapor equilibrium isotopic fractionation of water: how well can classical water models predict it?

Quantum kinetic energy and isotope fractionation in aqueous ionic solutions

At room temperature, the quantum contribution to the kinetic energy of a water molecule exceeds the classical contribution by an order of magnitude. The quantum kinetic energy (QKE) of a water molecule is modulated by its local chemical environment and leads to uneven partitioning of isotopes between different phases in thermal equilibrium, which would not occur if the nuclei behaved classically. In this work, we use ab initio path integral simulations to show that QKEs of the water molecules and the equilibrium isotope fractionation ratios of the oxygen and hydrogen isotopes are sensitive probes of the hydrogen bonding structures in aqueous ionic solutions. In particular, we demonstrate how the QKE of water molecules in path integral simulations can be decomposed into translational, rotational and vibrational degrees of freedom, and use them to determine the impact of solvation on different molecular motions. By analyzing the QKEs and isotope fractionation ratios, we show how the addition of the Na⁺, Cl^- and HPO₄^2- ions perturbs the competition between quantum effects in liquid water and impacts their local solvation structures.

Unraveling quantum mechanical effects in water using isotopic fractionation

When two phases of water are at equilibrium, the ratio of hydrogen isotopes in each is slightly altered because of their different phase affinities. This isotopic fractionation process can be utilized to analyze water's movement in the world's climate. Here we show that equilibrium fractionation ratios, an entirely quantum mechanical property, also provide a sensitive probe to assess the magnitude of nuclear quantum fluctuations in water. By comparing the predictions of a series of water models, we show that those describing the OH chemical bond as rigid or harmonic greatly overpredict the magnitude of isotope fractionation. Models that account for anharmonicity in this coordinate are shown to provide much more accurate results because of their ability to give partial cancellation between inter- and intramolecular quantum effects. These results give evidence of the existence of competing quantum effects in water and allow us to identify how this cancellation varies across a wide-range of temperatures. In addition, this work demonstrates that simulation can provide accurate predictions and insights into hydrogen fractionation.

Polarization behavior of water in extreme aqueous environments: A molecular dynamics study based on the Gaussian charge polarizable water model

We study the polarization behavior of water under geologically relevant extreme aqueous environments along four equidistant supercritical isotherms, 773<or=T(K)<or=1373, and over a wide pressure range, 0<P(GPa)<or=30, by isobaric-isothermal molecular dynamics simulations of the Gaussian charge polarizable water model, to unravel and discuss the underlying link between two precisely defined orientational order parameters and the magnitude of the average induced dipole moment of water. The predicted behavior indicates an isothermal linear dependence (a) between the magnitude of the average induced dipole moment mu(ind) and the average system density rho, (b) between the magnitude of the average induced dipole mu(ind) and that of the total dipole mu(tot), resulting from (c), a compensating (inverse) dependence between the permanent-to-induced dipolar angle theta and the magnitude of the average induced dipole moment mu(ind). Moreover, we interpret this behavior in terms of the evolution of the state dependent tetrahedral order parameter q(T) and the corresponding bond-order parameter Q(6), supplemented by the microstructural analysis based on the three site-site radial distribution functions of water and the distance-ranked nearest-neighbor distributions. Finally, we show that while water exhibits a dramatic microstructural transformation from an open four-coordinated hydrogen-bonded network at normal conditions to a quasi-close-packed coordination, it still preserves a significant degree of hydrogen bonding.