Thermodynamics of Small Alkali Metal Halide Cluster Ions: Comparison of Classical Molecular Simulations with Experiment and Quantum Chemistry

Journal Article · Wed Dec 16 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Journal of Physical Chemistry. A, Molecules, Spectroscopy, Kinetics, Environment, and General Theory

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/jp509401d· OSTI ID:1408667

Vlcek, Lukas ^[1]; Uhlik, Filip ^[2]; Moucka, Filip ^[3]; Nezbeda, Ivo ^[4]; Chialvo, Ariel A. ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
2. Charles Univ., Prague (Czech Republic)
3. Purkinje Univ. (Czech Republic)
4. Purkinje Univ. (Czech Republic); Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR), Prague (Czech Republic)

We evaluate the ability of selected classical molecular models to describe the thermodynamic and structural aspects of gas-phase hydration of alkali halide ions and the formation of small water clusters. To understand the effect of many-body interactions (polarization) and charge penetration effects on the accuracy of a force field, we perform Monte Carlo simulations with three rigid water models using different functional forms to account for these effects: (i) point charge non-polarizable SPC/E, (ii) Drude point charge polarizable SWM4- DP, and (iii) Drude Gaussian charge polarizable BK3. Model predictions are compared with experimental Gibbs free energies and enthalpies of ion hydration, and with microscopic structural properties obtained from quantum DFT calculations. We find that all three models provide comparable predictions for pure water clusters and cation hydration, but differ significantly in their description of anion hydration. None of the investigated classical force fields can consistently and quantitatively reproduce the experimental gas phase hydration thermodynamics. The outcome of this study highlights the relation between the functional form that describes the effective intermolecular interactions and the accuracy of the resulting ion hydration properties.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1408667
• Journal Information: Journal of Physical Chemistry. A, Molecules, Spectroscopy, Kinetics, Environment, and General Theory, Vol. 119, Issue 3; ISSN 1089-5639
• Publisher: American Chemical Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY