Simulating surfactant-iron oxide interfaces: from density functional theory to molecular dynamics
File(s)Simulating Surfactant-Iron Oxide Interfaces.pdf (17.28 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Ayestarán Latorre, Carlos
Ewen, James Patrick
Gattinoni, Chiara
Dini, Daniele
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Understanding the behaviour of surfactant molecules on iron oxide surfaces is important for many industrial applications. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of such systems have been limited by the absence of a force-field (FF) which accurately describes the molecule-surface interactions. In this study, interaction energies from density functional theory (DFT) + U calculations with a van der Waals functional are used to parameterize a classical FF for MD simulations of amide surfactants on iron oxide surfaces. The Original FF, which was derived using mixing rules and surface Lennard-Jones (LJ) parameters developed for nonpolar molecules, were shown to significantly underestimate the adsorption energy and overestimate the equilibrium adsorption distance compared to DFT. Conversely, the Optimized FF showed excellent agreement with the interaction energies obtained from DFT calculations for a wide range of surface coverages and molecular conformations near to and adsorbed on α-Fe2O3(0001). This was facilitated through the use of a Morse potential for strong chemisorption interactions, modified LJ parameters for weaker physisorption interactions, and adjusted partial charges for the electrostatic interactions. The Original FF and Optimized FF were compared in classical nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations of amide molecules confined between iron oxide surfaces. When the Optimized FF was employed, the amide molecules were pulled closer to the surface and the orientation of the headgroups was more similar to that observed in the DFT calculations compared to the Original FF. The Optimized FF proposed here facilitates classical MD simulations of anhydrous amide-iron oxide interfaces in which the interactions are representative of accurate DFT calculations.
Date Issued
2019-07-11
Date Acceptance
2019-07-11
Citation
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2019, 123 (31), pp.6870-6881
ISSN
1520-6106
Publisher
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Start Page
6870
End Page
6881
Journal / Book Title
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B
Volume
123
Issue
31
Copyright Statement
© American Chemical Society. This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that will appear in final form in Journal of Physical Chemistry B, after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b02925
Sponsor
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Afton Chemical Corporation
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Identifier
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b02925
Grant Number
See further info
EP/N025954/1
EP/P030211/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Chemistry, Physical
Chemistry
TOTAL-ENERGY CALCULATIONS
SELF-ASSEMBLED MONOLAYER
FORCE-FIELD
FATTY-ACIDS
CORROSION INHIBITION
ALKANE CHAINS
ADSORPTION
FRICTION
WATER
PARAMETRIZATION
03 Chemical Sciences
09 Engineering
02 Physical Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
acs.jpcb.9b02925
Date Publish Online
2019-07-11