Thermal transport of alkali halide aqueous solutions: a non-equilibrium molecular dynamics investigation
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Supporting information
Author(s)
Bresme, Fernando
Vasey, Evan
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Electrolyte solutions are essential in various physical, chemical, and biological processes. Thermal fields induce ion mass fluxes in electrolyte solutions, creating stable salt concentration gradients at stationary conditions. The response of the salt to the thermal field is quite complex, as the ions move towards hot or cold regions depending on the composition of the solution. While these phenomena are well-known, the microscopic mechanism determining thermodiffusion is still poorly understood. In this study, we used non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations and the Madrid 2019 forcefield to investigate the thermal transport properties of several electrolyte solutions: {Li+
, Na+
, K+
}Cl−
and {Li+
, Na+
, K+
}I−
. We show that the reduction of the thermal conductivity with salt concentration is correlated with the modification of the isothermal compressibility and the molar mass of the solution. We also calculate the Soret coefficient of the solutions and compare our results with those of existing experiments. The Madrid 2019 forcefield reproduces the main experimental trends of chloride solutions and the stronger thermophilic response of lithium salts. Our results suggest a connection between the ability of cations (Na+
, K+
) to disturb oxygen-oxygen correlations within the 0.35–0.5 nm inter-oxygen distance range and the thermophobicity of the solutions.
, Na+
, K+
}Cl−
and {Li+
, Na+
, K+
}I−
. We show that the reduction of the thermal conductivity with salt concentration is correlated with the modification of the isothermal compressibility and the molar mass of the solution. We also calculate the Soret coefficient of the solutions and compare our results with those of existing experiments. The Madrid 2019 forcefield reproduces the main experimental trends of chloride solutions and the stronger thermophilic response of lithium salts. Our results suggest a connection between the ability of cations (Na+
, K+
) to disturb oxygen-oxygen correlations within the 0.35–0.5 nm inter-oxygen distance range and the thermophobicity of the solutions.
Date Issued
2024-11
Date Acceptance
2024-07-24
Citation
Molecular Physics: An International Journal at the Interface Between Chemistry and Physics, 2024, 122 (21-22)
ISSN
0026-8976
Publisher
Taylor and Francis Group
Journal / Book Title
Molecular Physics: An International Journal at the Interface Between Chemistry and Physics
Volume
122
Issue
21-22
Copyright Statement
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted
Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted
Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00268976.2024.2388302
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
e2388302
Date Publish Online
2024-08-12