Correction: Understanding liquid-liquid equilibria in binary mixtures of hydrocarbons with a thermally robust perarylphosphonium-based ionic liquid.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D1RA06268A.].

Correction: Making good on a promise: ionic liquids with genuinely high degrees of thermal stability.

Correction for 'Making good on a promise: ionic liquids with genuinely high degrees of thermal stability' by Brooks D. Rabideau et al., Chem. Commun., 2018, 54, 5019-5031, https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC01716F.

Correction: Tuning the melting point of selected ionic liquids through adjustment of the cation's dipole moment.

Correction for 'Tuning the melting point of selected ionic liquids through adjustment of the cation's dipole moment' by Brooks D. Rabideau et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2020, 22, 12301-12311, https://doi.org/10.1039/D0CP01214A.

Water Bridges Substitute for Defects in Amine-Functionalized UiO-66, Boosting CO2 Adsorption.

The binary adsorption of CO2 and water on an amine-functionalized UiO-66 metal-organic framework (MOF) was studied experimentally and computationally. Grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations were used to investigate three additional UiO-66 MOFs with different functionalized linkers. Each MOF was studied in a defect-free form as well as two additional forms with precise linker defects. Binary adsorption isotherms are presented for CO2 at specific water loadings. While water loading in defect-free MOFs reduces the CO2 uptake, the defects slightly boost the CO2 uptake at low water loadings. It was found that water bridges form between the metal oxide cores, replacing the missing linkers. Effectively, this creates smaller pores that are more welcoming of CO2 adsorption. Experimental measurement of the binary isotherms for UiO-66-NH2 shows a behavior that is consistent with this enhancement.

Understanding liquid-liquid equilibria in binary mixtures of hydrocarbons with a thermally robust perarylphosphonium-based ionic liquid.

Binary mixtures of hydrocarbons and a thermally robust ionic liquid (IL) incorporating a perarylphosphonium-based cation are investigated experimentally and computationally. Experimentally, it is seen that excess toluene added to the IL forms two distinct liquid phases, an "ion-rich" phase of fixed composition and a phase that is nearly pure toluene. Conversely, n-heptane is observed to be essentially immiscible in the neat IL. Molecular dynamics simulations capture both of these behaviours. Furthermore, the simulated composition of the toluene-rich IL phase is within 10% of the experimentally determined composition. Additional simulations are performed on the binary mixtures of the IL and ten other small hydrocarbons having mixed aromatic/aliphatic character. It is found that hydrocarbons with a predominant aliphatic character are largely immiscible with the IL, while those with a predominant aromatic character readily mix with the IL. A detailed analysis of the structure and energetic changes that occur on mixing reveals the nature of the ion-rich phase. The simulations show a bicontinuous phase with hydrocarbon uptake akin to absorption and swelling by a porous absorbent. Aromatic hydrocarbons are driven into the neat IL via dispersion forces with the IL cations and, to a lesser extent, the IL anions. The ion-ion network expands to accommodate the hydrocarbons, yet maintains a core connective structure. At a certain loading, this network becomes stretched to its limit. The energetic penalty associated with breaking the core connective network outweighs the gain from new hydrocarbon-IL interactions, leaving additional hydrocarbons in the neat phase. The spatially alternating charge of the expanded IL network is shown to interact favourably with the stacked aromatic subphase, something not possible for aliphatic hydrocarbons.

Tuning the melting point of selected ionic liquids through adjustment of the cation's dipole moment.

In previous work with thermally robust salts [Cassity et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017, 19, 31560] it was noted that an increase in the dipole moment of the cation generally led to a decrease in the melting point. Molecular dynamics simulations of the liquid state revealed that an increased dipole moment reduces cation-cation repulsions through dipole-dipole alignment. This was believed to reduce the liquid phase enthalpy, which would tend to lower the melting point of the IL. In this work we further test this principle by replacing hydrogen atoms with fluorine atoms at selected positions within the cation. This allows us to alter the electrostatics of the cation without substantially affecting the sterics. Furthermore, the strength of the dipole moment can be controlled by choosing different positions within the cation for replacement. We studied variants of four different parent cations paired with bistriflimide and determined their melting points, and enthalpies and entropies of fusion through DSC experiments. The decreases in the melting point were determined to be enthalpically driven. We found that the dipole moment of the cation, as determined by quantum chemical calculations, is inversely correlated with the melting point of the given compound. Molecular dynamics simulations of the crystalline and solid states of two isomers showed differences in their enthalpies of fusion that closely matched those seen experimentally. Moreover, this reduction in the enthalpy of fusion was determined to be caused by an increase in the enthalpy of the crystalline state. We provide evidence that dipole-dipole interactions between cations leads to the formation of cationic domains in the crystalline state. These cationic associations partially block favourable cation-anion interactions, which are recovered upon melting. If, however, the dipole-dipole interactions between cations is too strong they have a tendency to form glasses. This study provides a design rule for lowering the melting point of structurally similar ILs by altering their dipole moment.

The role of urea in the solubility of cellulose in aqueous quaternary ammonium hydroxide.

We examine the role of water and urea in cellulose solubility in tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAH). Molecular dynamics simulations were performed for several different solvent compositions with a fixed cellulose fraction. For each composition, two simulations were carried out with cellulose fixed in each of the crystalline and the dissolved states. From the enthalpy and the entropy of the two states, the difference in Gibbs free energy (ΔG) and hence the spontaneity is determined. A comparison with solubility experiments showed a strong correlation between the calculated ΔG and the experimental measurements. A breakdown of the enthalpic and entropic contributions reveals the roles of water and urea in solubility. At high water concentration, a drop in solubility is attributed to both increased enthalpy and decreased entropy of dissolution. Water displaces strong IL-cellulose interactions for weaker water-cellulose interactions, resulting in an overall enthalpy increase. This is accompanied by a strong decrease in entropy, which is primarily attributed to both water and the entropy of mixing. Adding urea to TBAH(aq) increases solubility by an addition to the mixing term and by reducing losses in solvent entropy upon dissolution. In the absence of urea, the flexible [TBA]+ ions lose substantial degrees of freedom when they interact with cellulose. When urea is present, it partially replaces [TBA]+ and to a lesser extent OH- near cellulose, losing less entropy because of its rigid structure. This suggests that one way to boost the dissolving power of an ionic liquid is to limit the number of degrees of freedom from the outset.

Making good on a promise: ionic liquids with genuinely high degrees of thermal stability.

Thermally robust materials have been of interest since the middle of the past century for use as high temperature structural materials, lubricants, heat transfer fluids and other uses where thermal stability is necessary or desirable. More recently, ionic liquids have been described as 'thermally robust,' with this moniker often originating from their low volatility rather than their innate stability. As many ionic liquids have vanishingly low vapor pressures, the upper limit of their liquid state is commonly considered to be their degradation temperature, frequently reported from TGA measurements. The short duration ramps often used in TGA experiments can significantly overestimate the temperature at which significant degradation begins to occur when the compounds are held isothermal for even a few hours. Here, we review our recent work, and that of colleagues, in developing thermally robust ionic compounds, primarily perarylphosphonium and perarylsulfonium bistriflimide salts, in some of which cation stability exceeds that of the anion. We have used a combination of molecular design, synthesis, and computational modeling to understand the complex tradeoffs involving thermal stability, low melting point and other desirable physicochemical properties.

The effect of structural modifications on the thermal stability, melting points and ion interactions for a series of tetraaryl-phosphonium-based mesothermal ionic liquids.

A family of mesothermal ionic liquids comprised of tetraarylphosphonium cations and the bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amidate anion are shown to be materials of exceptional thermal stability, enduring (without decomposition) heating in air at 300 °C for three months. It is further established that three specific structural elements - phenoxy, phenacyl, and phenyl sulfonyl - can be present in the cation structures without compromising their thermal stability, and that their incorporation has specific impacts on the melting points of the salts. Most importantly, it is shown that the ability of such a structural component to lower a salt melting point is tied to its ability to lower cation-cation repulsions in the material.

Effect of Water Content in N-Methylmorpholine N-Oxide/Cellulose Solutions on Thermodynamics, Structure, and Hydrogen Bonding.

Native crystalline cellulose is notoriously difficult to dissolve due to its dense hydrogen bond network between chains and weaker hydrophobic forces between cellulose sheets. N-Methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO), the solvent behind the Lyocell process, is one of the most successful commercial solvents for the nonderivatized dissolution of cellulose. In this process, water plays a very important role. Its presence at low concentrations allows NMMO to dissolve substantial amounts of cellulose, while at much higher concentrations it precipitates the crystalline fibers. Using all-atom molecular dynamics, we study the thermodynamic and structural properties of ternary solutions of cellulose, NMMO, and water. Using the two-phase thermodynamic method to calculate solvent entropy, we estimate the free energy of dissolution of cellulose as a function of the water concentration and find a transition of spontaneity that is in excellent agreement with experiment. In pure water, we find that cellulose dissolution is nonspontaneous, a result that is due entirely to strong decreases in water entropy. Although the combined effect of enthalpy on dissolution in water is negligible, we observe a net loss of hydrogen bonds, resulting in a change in hydrogen bond energy that opposes dissolution. At lower water concentrations, cellulose dissolution is spontaneous and largely driven by decreases in enthalpy, with solvent entropy playing only a very minor role. When searching for the root causes of this enthalpy decrease, a complex picture emerges in which not one but many different factors contribute to NMMO's good solvent behavior. The reduction in enthalpy is led by the formation of strong hydrogen bonds between cellulose and NMMO's N-oxide, intensified through van der Waals interactions between NMMO's nonpolar body and the nonpolar surfaces of cellulose and unhindered by water at low concentrations due to the formation of efficient hydrogen bonds between water and cellulose.

Mechanisms of hydrogen bond formation between ionic liquids and cellulose and the influence of water content.

We study the dynamics of the formation of multiple hydrogen bonds between ionic liquid anions and cellulose using molecular dynamics simulations. We examine fifteen different ionic liquids composed of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations ([Cnmim], n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) paired with either chloride, acetate or dimethylphosphate. We map the transitions of anions hydrogen bonded to cellulose into different bonding states. We find that increased tail length in the ionic liquids has only a very minor effect on these transitions, tending to slow the dynamics of the transitions and increasing the hydrogen bond lifetimes. Each anion can form up to four hydrogen bonds with cellulose. We find that this hydrogen bond "redundancy" leads to multiply bonded anions having lifetimes three to four times that of singly bound anions. Such redundant hydrogen bonds account for roughly half of all anion-cellulose hydrogen bonds. Additional simulations for [C2mim]Cl, [C2mim]Ac and [C2mim]DMP were performed at different water concentrations between 70 mol% and 90 mol%. It was found that water crowds the hydrogen bond-accepting sites of the anions, preventing interactions with cellulose. The more water that is present in the system, the more crowded these sites become. Thus, if a hydrogen bond between an anion and cellulose breaks, the likelihood that it will be replaced by a nearby water molecule increases as well. We show that the formation of these "redundant" hydrogen bonding states is greatly affected by the presence of water, leading to steep drops in hydrogen bonding between the anions and cellulose.

The role of the cation in the solvation of cellulose by imidazolium-based ionic liquids.

We present a systematic molecular dynamics study examining the roles of the individual ions of different alkylimidazolium-based ionic liquids in the solvation of cellulose. We examine combinations of chloride, acetate, and dimethylphosphate anions paired with cations of increasing tail length to elucidate the precise role of the cation in solvating cellulose. In all cases we find that the cation interacts with the nonpolar domains of cellulose through dispersion interactions, while interacting electrostatically with the anions bound at the polar domains of cellulose. Furthermore, the structure and dimensions of the imidazolium head facilitate the formation of large chains and networks of alternating cations and anions that form a patchwork, satisfying both the polar and nonpolar domains of cellulose. A subtle implication of increasing tail length is the dilution of the anion concentration in the bulk and at the cellulose surface. We show how this decreased concentration of anions in the bulk affects hydrogen bond formation with cellulose and how rearrangements from single hydrogen bonds to multiple shared hydrogen bonds can moderate the loss in overall hydrogen bond numbers. Additionally, for the tail lengths examined in this study we observe only a very minor effect of tail length on the solvation structure and overall interaction energies.

Observed mechanism for the breakup of small bundles of cellulose Iα and Iß in ionic liquids from molecular dynamics simulations.

Explicit, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the breakup of small bundles of cellulose Iα and Iß in the ionic liquids [BMIM]Cl, [EMIM]Ac, and [DMIM]DMP. In all cases, significant breakup of the bundles is observed with the initial breakup following a common underlying mechanism. Anions bind strongly to the hydroxyl groups of the exterior strands of the bundle, forming negatively charged complexes. Binding also weakens the intrastrand hydrogen bonds present in the cellulose strands, providing greater strand flexibility. Cations then intercalate between the individual strands, likely due to charge imbalances, providing the bulk to push the individual moieties apart and initiating the separation. The peeling of an individual strand from the main bundle is observed in [EMIM]Ac with an analysis of its hydrogen bonds with other strands showing that the chain detaches glucan by glucan from the main bundle in discrete, rapid events. Further analysis shows that the intrastrand hydrogen bonds of each glucan tend to break for a sustained period of time before the interstrand hydrogen bonds break and strand detachment occurs. Examination of similar nonpeeling strands shows that, without this intrastrand hydrogen bond breakage, the structural rigidity of the individual unit can hinder its peeling despite interstrand hydrogen bond breakage.

Effects of water concentration on the structural and diffusion properties of imidazolium-based ionic liquid-water mixtures.

We have used molecular dynamics simulations to study the properties of three ionic liquid (IL)-water systems: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([bmim]Cl), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([emim][Ac]), and 1,3-dimethylimidazolium dimethylphosphate ([dmim][DMP]). We observe the transition of those mixtures from pure IL to aqueous solution by analyzing the changes in important bulk properties (density) and structural and bonding properties (radial distribution functions, water clustering, hydrogen bonding, and cationic stacking) as well as dynamical properties (diffusion coefficients) at 12 different concentration samplings of each mixture, ranging from 0.0 to 99.95 mol % water. Our simulations revealed across all of the different structural, bonding, and dynamical properties major structural changes consistent with a transition from IL-water mixture to aqueous solution in all three ILs at water concentrations around 75 mol %. Among the structural changes observed were rapid increase in the frequency of hydrogen bonds, both water-water and water-anion. Similarly, at these critical concentrations, the water clusters formed begin to span the entire simulation box, rather than existing as isolated networks of molecules. At the same time, there is a sudden decrease in cationic stacking at the transition point, followed by a rapid increase near 90 mol % water. Finally, the diffusion coefficients of individual cations and anions show a rapid transition from rates consistent with diffusion in IL's to rates consistent with diffusion in water beginning at 75 mol % water. The location of this transition is consistent, for [bmim]Cl and [dmim][DMP], with the water concentration limit above which the ILs are unable to dissolve cellulose.

The effects of chloride binding on the behavior of cellulose-derived solutes in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride.

The structure and diffusion of various linear and ringed solutes are examined in two different solvents, the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl) and SPC/E water, using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The formation of distinctly ordered local solvent environments around these solutes is observed. Specifically, spatial distribution functions reveal significant ordering of the solvents around the solutes with chloride-hydroxyl group interactions largely dictating these arrangements. Further, a breakdown of the hydrogen bonds that develop between the solute and solvent is provided, showing a relationship between the presence of additional functional groups and the distribution of hydrogen bonds. The diffusivities of the solutes were determined in water at 298 K, 1 bar and [BMIM]Cl at 400 K, 1 bar. The results show that the solutes were approximately 10-100 times more diffusive in water than in [BMIM]Cl. Within [BMIM]Cl, diffusivity appears to decrease with increasing strength of the hydroxyl groups present. Additionally, the free energies of solvation of the solutes are determined with COSMO-RS, providing information about their tendencies in forming aggregates. These results are then compared with MD results in which aggregation is quantified through the use of a dispersion measure. Though all solutes remained relatively dispersed in each of the solvents, those with hydroxyl groups were seen to be the most highly dispersed in the solvent [BMIM]Cl. Further, the dynamic dispersal of a large solute aggregate into [BMIM]Cl was studied, finding that solutes with hydroxyl groups tend to form complexes with the chloride ions. If strong enough, these chlorides can actually bind multiple solutes together into long chains, inhibiting their dispersal in solvent. It is believed that the formation of these chloride-solute complexes is largely responsible for the decreased diffusivity and elevated dispersion seen in simulations with [BMIM]Cl.

Definition and computation of intermolecular contact in liquids using additively weighted Voronoi tessellation.

We present a definition of intermolecular surface contact by applying weighted Voronoi tessellations to configurations of various organic liquids and water obtained from molecular dynamics simulations. This definition of surface contact is used to link the COSMO-RS model and molecular dynamics simulations. We demonstrate that additively weighted tessellation is the superior tessellation type to define intermolecular surface contact. Furthermore, we fit a set of weights for the elements C, H, O, N, F, and S for this tessellation type to obtain optimal agreement between the models. We use these radii to successfully predict contact statistics for compounds that were excluded from the fit and mixtures. The observed agreement between contact statistics from COSMO-RS and molecular dynamics simulations confirms the capability of the presented method to describe intermolecular contact. Furthermore, we observe that increasing polarity of the surfaces of the examined molecules leads to weaker agreement in the contact statistics. This is especially pronounced for pure water.

A computational study of the hydrodynamically assisted organization of DNA-functionalized colloids in 2D.

We study computationally the self-organization of DNA-functionalized colloidal particles confined to two dimensions and subjected to a linear shear force. We show that hydrodynamic forces allow a more thorough sampling of phase space than thermal or Brownian forces alone. Two particle types are present in each of our dynamic simulations each signifying its own specific oligonucleotide sequence grafted to the particle surface: A-type and B-type. Particles are modeled as interacting via a type-specific DNA attraction where unlike-types have affinities for each other while like-types do not. The particles are small enough to feel Brownian motion while the shear adds motion to the particles. We find the formation of lines of A-type and B-type particles in simulations with an imposed shear. Simulations without imposed shear form a frustrated network with little or no linear order. An orientational distribution function, g2(r), quantifies the degree of linear order. A phase diagram is constructed, finding a linear dependence of the minimum DNA force necessary for line formation on the dimensionless shear rate. A force analysis performed on the structures shows that the lines orient perpendicular to the axis of the elongation component of the shear because it is this orientation that allows the DNA attraction to resist the shear.

Observation of long-range orientational order in monolayers of polydisperse colloids.

Polydisperse amorphous-silicon colloidal particles ranging from approximately 10 to 140 nm in diameter were evaporated onto carbon substrates. The particles formed close-packed monolayers in which each particle had 6-fold nearest-neighbor coordination characteristic of a hexagonal lattice yet completely lacked positional order. Orientational correlation functions were calculated for the particles and found to be constant throughout the aggregate, indicating the occurrence of long-range orientational order. Computer simulations revealed that the structural organization in this system resulted from capillary immersion forces that lead to a size separation as the particles deposit from the evaporating solvent onto the substrate.

Computational predictions of stable 2D arrays of bidisperse particles.

We study computationally the stability of various 2D arrays of bidisperse mixtures of stabilized nanoparticles through a melting simulation employing the Metropolis algorithm for determining surface diffusion. In our previous work [Langmuir 2004, 20, 9408], we studied computationally the stability of bidispersed monolayers of thiol-stabilized gold nanoparticles with a size ratio (sigma) of 0.375. We found that interparticle forces were essential to stabilize the LS (the two-dimensional NaCl analogue) lattice at the experimentally determined surface coverage. In this paper, we extend our study to determine the conditions necessary to form stable LS(2), LS(4), and LS(6) lattices, which have yet to be observed. Using a simple design rule that involves matching the distances between either large-large particles and large-small particles or large-small particles and small-small particles to correspond to the respective potential minima leads to predictions for size ratios that will form each desired lattice, given other parameters characterizing the systems' physical properties. We predict and verify computationally LS(2), LS(4), and LS(6) lattices at relatively low surface coverages. Additional simulations show that the LS, LS(2), and LS(6) lattices are indeed stable structures at their predicted surface coverage, whereas the LS(4) lattice is a metastable structure; however, a modest increase in the surface coverage of the LS(4) lattice converts it to a stable rather than long-lived metastable structure. This study may be used as a guide for experimentalists in their search for these novel structures.

Computational study of the self-organization of bidisperse nanoparticles.

We study computationally the self-organization of bidisperse mixtures of thiol-stabilized gold particles in two dimensions through random sequential adsorption (RSA) coupled with the Metropolis algorithm for determining surface diffusion. It was previously shown [Doty et al. Phys. Rev. E 2002, 65, 061503] that ordered lattices of bidisperse particles cannot form with hard sphere interactions. Here we include the effects of interparticle forces. Osmotic and steric interactions provide a repulsive force at close distances, while at longer ranges the van der Waals interaction leads to attraction. Two size ratios (sigma) of 0.375 and 0.577, determined experimentally to form LS (the two-dimensional NaCl analogue) and LS2 (the two-dimensional AlB2 analogue) lattices, were studied. The calculated jamming limits for RSA fall well below the minimum surface coverage necessary for stable ordering as determined by melting simulations. Uniform compression of the particles' positions, as a model of the convection and lateral capillary forces that would be experienced during solvent evaporation, allowed this critical surface coverage to be achieved, and LS lattice formation was observed for sigma = 0.375. No LS2 lattice formation was observed for sigma = 0.577 with compression. The melting coverage of the LS2 lattice far exceeds the coverage observed experimentally and so is not observed.