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Ambagaspitiya TD, Garza DJC, Skelton E, Kubacki E, Knight A, Bergmeier SC, Cimatu KLA. Using the pH sensitivity of switchable surfactants to understand the role of the alkyl tail conformation and hydrogen bonding at a molecular level in elucidating emulsion stability. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 678:164-175. [PMID: 39186896 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.08.156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 08/17/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS The monoalkyl diamine surfactant, N-dodecylpropane-1,3-diamine (DPDA), is expected to exhibit a pH-dependent charge switchability. In response to pH changes, the interfacial self-assembly of DPDA becomes an intermediary constituent that can potentially modify the interfacial interactions and structural assembly of both the oil and water phases. Hence, we hypothesize that as we change the pH, DPDA will respond to it by changing its charge and alkyl tail conformation as well as the conformation of adjacent phases at the molecular level, consequently affecting emulsion formation and stability. A neutral pH, resulting in a mono-cationic dialkyl amine, affects the conformation, driving an ordered self-assembly and stable emulsion. EXPERIMENTS The pH-sensitivity and interfacial activity of DPDA were evaluated through pH titration and interfacial tension measurements. Subsequently, a molecular-level study of DPDA, as a pH-sensitive switchable surfactant, was performed at the dodecane-water interface using SFG spectroscopy. The interpretation of the vibrational spectra was further reinforced by determining the gauche defects in the interfacial alkyl chain organization and the extent of hydrogen (H) bonding between the interfacial water molecules. FINDINGS By adjusting the pH of water, the charge of the adsorbed DPDA molecules, their self-assembly, the organization of interfacial molecules, and ultimately the stability of the emulsion were tuned. At pH 7.0, the SFG spectra of DPDA showed that the interfacial alkyl chains were relatively well-ordered, while water molecules also had stronger H-bonding interactions. As a result, the oil-water emulsion showed improved stability. When water was at a high pH, the water molecules had fewer H-bonding interactions and relatively disordered alkyl chains at the interface, providing desirable conditions for demulsification. These observations were compatible with the observation in bulk emulsion preparation, confirming that alkyl chain packing and water H-bonding interactions at the interface contribute to overall emulsion stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tharushi D Ambagaspitiya
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio University, 133 University Terrace, Chemistry Building, Athens, OH 45701-2979, United States.
| | - Danielle John C Garza
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio University, 133 University Terrace, Chemistry Building, Athens, OH 45701-2979, United States.
| | - Eli Skelton
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio University, 133 University Terrace, Chemistry Building, Athens, OH 45701-2979, United States.
| | - Emma Kubacki
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio University, 133 University Terrace, Chemistry Building, Athens, OH 45701-2979, United States.
| | - Alanna Knight
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio University, 133 University Terrace, Chemistry Building, Athens, OH 45701-2979, United States.
| | - Stephen C Bergmeier
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio University, 133 University Terrace, Chemistry Building, Athens, OH 45701-2979, United States.
| | - Katherine Leslee Asetre Cimatu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio University, 133 University Terrace, Chemistry Building, Athens, OH 45701-2979, United States.
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2
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Polley K, Wilson KR, Limmer DT. On the Statistical Mechanics of Mass Accommodation at Liquid-Vapor Interfaces. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:4148-4157. [PMID: 38652843 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
We propose a framework for describing the dynamics associated with the adsorption of small molecules to liquid-vapor interfaces using an intermediate resolution between traditional continuum theories that are bereft of molecular detail and molecular dynamics simulations that are replete with them. In particular, we develop an effective single particle equation of motion capable of describing the physical processes that determine thermal and mass accommodation probabilities. The effective equation is parametrized with quantities that vary through space away from the liquid-vapor interface. Of particular importance in describing the early time dynamics is the spatially dependent friction, for which we propose a numerical scheme to evaluate from molecular simulation. Taken together with potentials of mean force computable with importance sampling methods, we illustrate how to compute the mass accommodation coefficient and residence time distribution. Throughout, we highlight the case of ozone adsorption in aqueous solutions and its dependence on electrolyte composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kritanjan Polley
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Kevin R Wilson
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - David T Limmer
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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3
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Litman Y, Chiang KY, Seki T, Nagata Y, Bonn M. Surface stratification determines the interfacial water structure of simple electrolyte solutions. Nat Chem 2024; 16:644-650. [PMID: 38225269 PMCID: PMC10997511 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01416-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
The distribution of ions at the air/water interface plays a decisive role in many natural processes. Several studies have reported that larger ions tend to be surface-active, implying ions are located on top of the water surface, thereby inducing electric fields that determine the interfacial water structure. Here we challenge this view by combining surface-specific heterodyne-detected vibrational sum-frequency generation with neural network-assisted ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Our results show that ions in typical electrolyte solutions are, in fact, located in a subsurface region, leading to a stratification of such interfaces into two distinctive water layers. The outermost surface is ion-depleted, and the subsurface layer is ion-enriched. This surface stratification is a key element in explaining the ion-induced water reorganization at the outermost air/water interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yair Litman
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany.
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | | | - Takakazu Seki
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany
| | - Yuki Nagata
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany
| | - Mischa Bonn
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany.
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4
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Jindal A, Schienbein P, Marx D. Revealing the Molecular Origin of Anisotropy around Chloride Ions in Bulk Water. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:3037-3042. [PMID: 38466241 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c03585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
A clear picture of the local solvation structure around halide anions in liquid water remains elusive. This discussion has been stimulated by pioneering simulation results that proposed a "hydrophobic cavity" around anions in the bulk, which is analogous to air at the air-water interface. However, there is also sound experimental and theoretical evidence that halide ions are rather symmetrically solvated in the bulk, leading to a different viewpoint. Using extensive ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of an aqueous Cl- solution, we indeed find an anisotropic arrangement of H-bonded versus interstitial water molecules. The latter are not H-bonded to the anions and thus do not couple much electronically to Cl-. The resulting purely electronic anisotropy of the local solvation environment correlates with that structural anisotropy, which however should not be understood as an empty cavity─as it would be at the air-water interface─but rather contains interstitial water molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aman Jindal
- Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Philipp Schienbein
- Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Dominik Marx
- Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
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5
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Fang YG, Tang B, Yuan C, Wan Z, Zhao L, Zhu S, Francisco JS, Zhu C, Fang WH. Mechanistic insight into the competition between interfacial and bulk reactions in microdroplets through N 2O 5 ammonolysis and hydrolysis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2347. [PMID: 38491022 PMCID: PMC10943240 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46674-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Reactive uptake of dinitrogen pentaoxide (N2O5) into aqueous aerosols is a major loss channel for NOx in the troposphere; however, a quantitative understanding of the uptake mechanism is lacking. Herein, a computational chemistry strategy is developed employing high-level quantum chemical methods; the method offers detailed molecular insight into the hydrolysis and ammonolysis mechanisms of N2O5 in microdroplets. Specifically, our calculations estimate the bulk and interfacial hydrolysis rates to be (2.3 ± 1.6) × 10-3 and (6.3 ± 4.2) × 10-7 ns-1, respectively, and ammonolysis competes with hydrolysis at NH3 concentrations above 1.9 × 10-4 mol L-1. The slow interfacial hydrolysis rate suggests that interfacial processes have negligible effect on the hydrolysis of N2O5 in liquid water. In contrast, N2O5 ammonolysis in liquid water is dominated by interfacial processes due to the high interfacial ammonolysis rate. Our findings and strategy are applicable to high-chemical complexity microdroplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Guang Fang
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Nanoscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Centre for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Bo Tang
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Chang Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Zhengyi Wan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Shuang Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Joseph S Francisco
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Chongqin Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China.
| | - Wei-Hai Fang
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, P. R. China
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6
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Devlin SW, Bernal F, Riffe EJ, Wilson KR, Saykally RJ. Spiers Memorial Lecture: Water at interfaces. Faraday Discuss 2024; 249:9-37. [PMID: 37795954 DOI: 10.1039/d3fd00147d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
In this article we discuss current issues in the context of the four chosen subtopics for the meeting: dynamics and nano-rheology of interfacial water, electrified/charged aqueous interfaces, ice interfaces, and soft matter/water interfaces. We emphasize current advances in both theory and experiment, as well as important practical manifestations and areas of unresolved controversy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane W Devlin
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Franky Bernal
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Erika J Riffe
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kevin R Wilson
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Richard J Saykally
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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7
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Noh S, Cho YJ, Zhang G, Schreier M. Insight into the Role of Entropy in Promoting Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction by Imidazolium Cations. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:27657-27663. [PMID: 38019965 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c09687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The electroreduction of CO2 plays an important role in achieving a net-zero carbon economy. Imidazolium cations can be used to enhance the rate of CO2 reduction reactions, but the origin of this promotion remains poorly understood. In this work, we show that in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium (EMIM+), CO2 reduction on Ag electrodes occurs with an apparent activation energy near zero, while the applied potential influences the rate through the pre-exponential factor. Our findings suggest that the CO2 reduction rate is controlled by the initial state entropy, which depends on the applied potential through the organization of cations at the electrochemical interface. Further characterization shows that the C2-proton of EMIM+ is consumed during the reaction, leading to the collapse of the cation organization and a decrease in the catalytic performance. Our results have important implications for understanding the effect of potential on reaction rates, as they indicate that the common picture based on vibrational activation of electron transfer reactions is insufficient for describing the impact of potential in complex systems, such as CO2 reduction in the presence of imidazolium cations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seonmyeong Noh
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Yoon Jin Cho
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Gong Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Marcel Schreier
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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8
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Devlin SW, Jamnuch S, Xu Q, Chen AA, Qian J, Pascal TA, Saykally RJ. Agglomeration Drives the Reversed Fractionation of Aqueous Carbonate and Bicarbonate at the Air-Water Interface. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:22384-22393. [PMID: 37774115 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c05093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
In the course of our investigations of the adsorption of ions to the air-water interface, we previously reported the surprising result that doubly charged carbonate anions exhibit a stronger surface affinity than singly charged bicarbonate anions. In contrast to monovalent, weakly hydrated anions, which generally show enhanced concentrations in the interfacial region, multivalent (and strongly hydrated) anions are expected to show a much weaker surface propensity. In the present work, we use resonantly enhanced deep-UV second-harmonic generation spectroscopy to measure the Gibbs free energy of adsorption of both carbonate (CO32-) and bicarbonate (HCO3-) anions to the air-water interface. Contrasting the predictions of classical electrostatic theory and in support of our previous findings from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we find that carbonate anions do indeed exhibit much stronger surface affinity than do the bicarbonate anions. Extensive computer simulations reveal that strong ion pairing of CO32- with the Na+ countercation in the interfacial region results in the formation of near-neutral agglomerate clusters, consistent with a theory of interfacial ion adsorption based on hydration free energy and capillary waves. Simulated X-ray photoelectron spectra predict a 1 eV shift in the carbonate spectra compared to that of bicarbonate, further confirming our experiments. These findings not only advance our fundamental understanding of ion adsorption chemistry but also impact important practical processes such as ocean acidification, sea-spray aerosol chemistry, and mammalian respiration physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane W Devlin
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Sasawat Jamnuch
- ATLAS Materials Science Laboratory, Department of Nano Engineering and Chemical Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92023, United States
| | - Qiang Xu
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Amanda A Chen
- ATLAS Materials Science Laboratory, Department of Nano Engineering and Chemical Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92023, United States
| | - Jin Qian
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Tod A Pascal
- ATLAS Materials Science Laboratory, Department of Nano Engineering and Chemical Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92023, United States
- Materials Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92023, United States
- Sustainable Power and Energy Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92023, United States
| | - Richard J Saykally
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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9
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Premadasa UI, Bocharova V, Lin L, Genix AC, Heller WT, Sacci RL, Ma YZ, Thiele NA, Doughty B. Tracking Molecular Transport Across Oil/Aqueous Interfaces: Insight into "Antagonistic" Binding in Solvent Extraction. J Phys Chem B 2023. [PMID: 37216432 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c00386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Liquid/liquid (L/L) interfaces play a key, yet poorly understood, role in a range of complex chemical phenomena where time-evolving interfacial structures and transient supramolecular assemblies act as gatekeepers to function. Here, we employ surface-specific vibrational sum frequency generation combined with neutron and X-ray scattering methods to track the transport of dioctyl phosphoric acid (DOP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (DEHPA) ligands used in solvent extraction at buried oil/aqueous interfaces away from equilibrium. Our results show evidence for a dynamic interfacial restructuring at low ligand concentrations in contrast to expectation. These time-varying interfaces arise from the transport of sparingly soluble interfacial ligands into the neighboring aqueous phase. These results support a proposed "antagonistic" role of ligand complexation in the aqueous phase that could serve as a holdback mechanism in kinetic liquid extractions. These findings provide new insights into interfacially controlled chemical transport at L/L interfaces and how these interfaces vary chemically, structurally, and temporally in a concentration-dependent manner and present potential avenues to design selective kinetic separations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uvinduni I Premadasa
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Vera Bocharova
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Lu Lin
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Anne-Caroline Genix
- Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, F-34095 Montpellier, France
| | - William T Heller
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Robert L Sacci
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Ying-Zhong Ma
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Nikki A Thiele
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Benjamin Doughty
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
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