Recent studies revealing exceptionally rapid water flow across graphene oxide membranes have highlighted them for potential filtration and separation applications. The physical and chemical features in graphene oxide membranes are heterogeneous, and there remains a great deal of speculation as to what is responsible for the facile water percolation. One potential contributing feature is the variation of interlayer spacing, which can occur naturally or be artificially induced. Herein, water flow across pristine, oxidized, and mixed membranes with interlayer distances of 0.7, 0.9, and 1.2 nm, corresponding respectively to the formation of discrete mono-, bi-, and trilayer water structures, was studied via molecular dynamics simulations. The interlayer spacing of 0.7 nm results in the formation of square ice for the pristine graphene membrane, which leads to collective motion, inhibiting equilibrium transport but allowing for rapid nonequilibrium flow comparable to that in the membranes with larger interlayer distances. A four-point time correlation function analysis of water structural relaxation reveals that collective water motions are responsible for rapid nonequilibrium flow for the interlayer spacing of 0.7 nm. Meanwhile, the central water layers formed in an interlayer spacing of 1.2 nm lead to almost entirely decoupled structure and dynamics between outer water layers.

Detailed insights into the organocatalytic properties of imidazolium-based ionic liquids (Im-ILs) for transesterification of cellulose with isopropenyl acetate (IPA) are presented. According to model transesterification reactions and their computational analysis, acetate anions of Im-ILs play an essential role in the promotion of the reactions. Mechanistic considerations in the optimization of the protocol of IL-catalyzed transesterification reactions have enabled a significant improvement in reaction conditions and a positive co-solvent effect for cellulose modifications in an imidazolium acetate ionic liquid.

Correction for ‘A mechanistic insight into the organocatalytic properties of imidazolium-based ionic liquids and a positive co-solvent effect on cellulose modification reactions in an ionic liquid’ by Ryohei Kakuchi et al., RSC Adv., 2017, 7, 9423–9430.

Ionic liquids (ILs) provide a promising medium for CO2 capture. Recently, the family of ILs comprising imidazolium-based cations and acetate anions, such as 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMI+OAc−), has been found to react with CO2 and form carboxylate compounds. N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) is widely assumed to be responsible by directly reacting with CO2 though NHC has not been detected in these ILs. Herein, a computational analysis of CO2 capture in EMI+OAc− is presented. Quantum chemistry calculations predict that NHC is unstable in a polar environment, suggesting that NHC is not formed in EMI+OAc−. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations indicate that an EMI+ ion “activated” by the approach of a CO2 molecule can donate its acidic proton to a neighboring OAc− anion and form a carboxylate compound with the CO2 molecule. Analysis of this termolecular process indicates that the EMI+-to-OAc− proton transfer and the formation of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium-2-carboxylate occur essentially concurrently. Based on these findings, a novel concerted mechanism that does not involve NHC is proposed for CO2 capture.

Correction for ‘A molecular dynamics study of the ionic liquid, choline acetate’ by Jon A. L. Willcox et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016, 18, 14850–14858.

A molecular dynamics graphene oxide model is used to shed light on commonly overlooked features of graphene oxide membranes. The model features both perpendicular and parallel water flow across multiple sheets of pristine and/or oxidized graphene to simulate “brick-and-mortar” microstructures. Additionally, regions of pristine/oxidized graphene overlap that have thus far been overlooked in the literature are explored. Differences in orientational and hydrogen-bonding features between adjacent layers of water in this mixed region are found to be even more prominent than differences between pristine and oxidized channels. This region also shows lateral water flow in equilibrium simulations and orthogonal flow in non-equilibrium simulations significantly greater than those in the oxidized region, suggesting it may play a non-negligible role in the mechanism of water flow across graphene oxide membranes.Keywords: graphene oxide; membranes; molecular dynamics; nanoconfined water; water flow;

The structure of ionic liquids (ILs) surrounding solute dyes and the effects of solvent structure on solute diffusion have been investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) and the experimental tools of confocal and fluorescence correlation spectroscopies. Although confocal microscopy and simulations show that the local environment around solutes in ILs is heterogeneous and that the structural heterogeneity is rather long-lived, the local polarity and the diffusion constant were found to be uncorrelated. Moreover, the complex diffusion observed experimentally is not due to the structural heterogeneity of the IL but rather due to the dynamic heterogeneity arising from the viscous glassy nature of the IL environment. MD simulations show that the degree of dynamic heterogeneity depends on the first nonvanishing electric multipole moment of the solute. The dynamics of a cationic solute are the least heterogeneous, whereas those of a solute without an electric multipole moment are the most heterogeneous. This indicates that the length scale over which the solute–solvent interactions occur, and thus the number of solvent degrees of freedom that couple to the solute, are the key factors governing the dynamic heterogeneity of the solute.

Structural and dynamic properties of the ionic liquid (IL) choline acetate are studied using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The hydroxyl group of choline shows significant hydrogen-bonding interactions with the oxygen atoms of acetate. Nearly all choline cations are found to form a hydrogen bond with acetate anions at 400 K, while about 67% of cations participate in hydrogen-bonding interactions at 600 K. At 400 K, subdiffusive and prominent non-Gaussian behavior persist for t > 10 ns. At 600 K, the usual diffusion regime is obtained after a few hundred ps of subdiffusive behavior. Analysis of reorientational motions of acetate ions, particularly those of their short axes, indicates a high degree of dynamic heterogeneity, in agreement with previous work on different IL systems.

Interactions of a lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide (Li+Tf2N−) ion pair with oligoethers are investigated via density functional theory (DFT). As a model for polymer electrolytes polyethyleneoxide (PEO) and perfluoropolyether (PFPE), CR3(OCR2CR2)n=1–5OCR3 (R = H or F) is considered. Topographical analysis of the molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) is performed to determine preferential binding sites of Li+. Our study shows that the MESP value near the oxygen sites of the polymer backbone is more negative for PEO than for PFPE. This result indicates that substitution of hydrogen by fluorine in polyethers leads to reduction in Li+–polymer interactions, in concert with the experimental ionic conductivity results. S–O stretching vibrations of Tf2N− are calculated for the lithium salt in the presence and absence of electrolytes. The blue and red shifts predicted for S–O stretching are further explained by natural bond orbital analysis and molecular electron density topography. The S–O stretching vibrations can be used as a useful tool to understand the ion pair interactions and thus ion transport phenomena in polymer electrolytes.

Graphene oxide supercapacitors in the parallel plate configuration are studied via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The full range of electrode oxidation from 0 to 100% is examined by oxidizing the graphene surface with hydroxyl groups. Two different electrolytes, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMI+BF4–) as an ionic liquid and its 1.3 M solution in acetonitrile as an organic electrolyte, are considered. While the area-specific capacitance tends to decrease with increasing electrode oxidation for both electrolytes, its details show interesting differences between the organic electrolyte and ionic liquid, including the extent of decrease. For detailed insight into these differences, the screening mechanisms of electrode charges by electrolytes and their variations with electrode oxidation are analyzed with special attention paid to the aspects shared by and the contrasts between the organic electrolyte and ionic liquid.

Effects of temperature on Stokes shifts, solvation structure, and dynamics in ionic liquids EMI+Tf2N–, EMI+PF6–, and BMI+PF6– (EMI+ = 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium, BMI+ = 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, Tf2N– = bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, and PF6– = hexafluorophosphate) are investigated via molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulations in the temperature range 350 K ≤ T ≤ 500 K. Two different types of solutes are considered: a simple model diatomic solute and realistic coumarin 153, both of which are characterized by more polar S1 and less polar S0 states. In all three ionic liquids studied, the Stokes shift tends to decrease with increasing temperature. For coumarin 153, as T increases, the Franck–Condon energy for steady-state absorption decreases, whereas that for steady-state emission increases. Our findings indicate that the effective polarity of ionic liquids decreases as T increases. Their solvation dynamics are characterized by an ultrafast initial decay in the subpicosecond time scale, followed by slow dissipative relaxation, regardless of temperature. For both solutes, the solvent frequency that quantifies initial ultrafast dynamics shows little temperature dependence. By contrast, the long-time dissipative dynamics become significantly faster with rising T. Variations of solvation structure with temperature and their connection to Stokes shift and solvation dynamics are briefly examined.

The interactions between a Cu-based metal–organic framework (MOF), Cu-BTC, and an ionic liquid (IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethyl sulfate, were studied by employing density functional theory (DFT) calculations and vibrational spectroscopy. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectra show that the confinement of the IL in the MOF has significant impact on the structure of the MOF as well as on the IL. Raman spectra and DFT calculations reveal a perturbation of the symmetry of the MOF structure due to the interaction of the IL anion with the Cu ions. FTIR and Raman spectra show that the molecular interactions in turn influence the structure of the ion pair. Inside the MOF, two different types of structure of IL ion pairs are formed. One ion-pair structure exhibits enhanced interionic interactions by strengthening the hydrogen bonding between cation and anion, whereas the other structure corresponds to weaker interactions between the IL cation and anion. Moreover, it is shown that the IL imidazolium ring can directly interact with either the MOF or the anion. The difference electron density analysis by DFT calculations indicates that molecular interactions of MOF and IL are accompanied by a transfer and redistribution of electron density.

The catalytic activity of Au25(SR)18 nanoclusters (R = C2H4Ph) for the aldehyde hydrogenation reaction in the presence of a base, e.g., ammonia or pyridine, and transition-metal ions Mz+, such as Cu+, Cu2+, Ni2+ and Co2+, as a Lewis acid is studied. The addition of a Lewis acid is found to significantly promote the catalytic activity of Au25(SR)18/CeO2 in the hydrogenation of benzaldehyde and a number of its derivatives. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry in conjunction with UV–vis spectroscopy confirm the generation of new species, Au25-n(SR)18-n (n = 1–4), in the presence of a Lewis acid. The pathways for the speciation of Au24(SR)17 from its parent Au25(SR)18 nanocluster as well as its structure are investigated via the density functional theory (DFT) method. The adsorption of Mz+ onto a thiolate ligand “—SR—” of Au25(SR)18, followed by a stepwise detachment of “—SR—” and a gold atom bonded to “—SR—” (thus an “Au-SR” unit) is found to be the most likely mechanism for the Au24(SR)17 generation. This in turn exposes the Au13-core of Au24(SR)17 to reactants, providing an active site for the catalytic hydrogenation. DFT calculations indicate that Mz+ is also capable of adsorbing onto the Au13-core surface, producing a possible active metal site of a different kind to catalyze the aldehyde hydrogenation reaction. This study suggests, for the first time, that species with an open metal site like adducts [nanoparticle-M](z-1)+ or fragments Au25-n(SR)18-n function as the catalysts rather than the intact Au25(SR)18.

The structural stability of isoreticular metal organic frameworks, IRMOF-1 and IRMOF-10, confining ionic liquids (ILs) inside their nano-porous cavities is studied via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Imidazolium- and pyridinium-based ILs, including BMI+PF6−, BMI+Br−, BMI+Tf2N−, BMI+DCA−, and BuPy+Tf2N− (BMI+ = 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, PF6− = hexafluorophosphate, Br− = bromide, Tf2N− = bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, DCA− = dicyanamide, and BuPy+ = N-butylpyridinium), at different loadings are considered. It is found that both IRMOFs are structurally unstable and deform dramatically from their crystal structure in the presence of ILs. The interactions between the metallic parts of IRMOFs and IL anions play a major role in structural disruption and collapse of these MOFs. Thus elongated anions such as Tf2N− and DCA− that can interact with two different metal sites tend to lower IRMOF stability compared to spherical anions such as Br− and PF6−. A further analysis via density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations lends support to the MD results regarding structural instability of IRMOFs in the presence of ILs.

Supercapacitors with graphene oxide (GO) electrodes in a parallel plate configuration are studied with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The full range of electrode oxidation from 0% (pure graphene) to 100% (fully oxidized GO) is investigated by decorating the graphene surface with hydroxyl groups. The ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMI+BF4−) is examined as an electrolyte. Capacitance tends to decrease with increasing electrode oxidation, in agreement with several recent measurements. This trend is attributed to the decreasing reorganization ability of ions near the electrode and a widening gap in the double layer structures as the density of hydroxyl groups on the electrode surface increases.

Dielectric relaxation, related polarization and conductivity, and solvation dynamics of the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMI+PF6–) are studied via molecular dynamics computer simulations in the temperature range 300 K ≤ T ≤ 500 K. Two main bands of its dielectric loss spectrum show differing temperature behaviors. As T increases, the absorption band in the microwave region shifts to higher frequencies rapidly, whereas the location of the bimodal far-IR band remains nearly unchanged. Their respective intensities tend to decrease and increase. The static dielectric constant of BMI+PF6– is found to decrease weakly with T. The ultrafast inertial component of solvation dynamics remains largely unchanged, while their dissipative relaxation component becomes faster. Roles played by ion reorientations and translations in governing dynamic and static dielectric properties of the ionic liquid are examined. A brief comparison with available experimental results is also made.

The structure and dynamics of benzene inside and outside of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in the (n,n) armchair configuration are studied via molecular dynamics computer simulations. Irrespective of the nanotube diameter, benzene molecules form cylindrical solvation shell structures on the outside of the nanotubes. Their molecular planes near the SWNTs in the first external solvation shell are oriented parallel to the nanotube surface, forming a π-stacked structure between the two. By contrast, the benzene distributions in the interior of the SWNTs are found to vary markedly with the nanotube diameter. In the case of the (7,7) and (8,8) nanotubes, internal benzene forms a single-file distribution, either in a vertex-to-vertex (n = 7) or face-to-face (n = 8) orientation between two neighboring molecules. Inside a slightly wider (9,9) nanotube channel, however, a cylindrical single-shell distribution of benzene arises. A secondary solvation structure, which begins to appear inside (10,10), develops into a full structure separate from the first internal solvation shell in (12,12). The ring orientation of internal benzene is generally parallel to the nanotube wall for n = 9–12, while it becomes either slanted with respect to (n = 7), or perpendicular to (n = 8), the nanotube axis. The confinement inside the small nanotube pores exerts a strong influence on the dynamics of benzene. Both translational and rotational dynamics inside SWNTs are slower and more anisotropic than in liquid benzene. It is also found that reorientational dynamics of internal benzene deviate dramatically from the rotational diffusion regime and change substantially with the nanotube diameter.

Energy density of supercapacitors based on a single-sheet graphene electrode is studied via molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulations. Two electrolytes of different types, pure 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMI+BF4–) and an 1.1 M solution of EMI+BF4– in acetonitrile, are considered as a prototypical room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) and organic electrolyte, respectively. Structure of ions near the electrode surface varies significantly with its charge density, especially in pure RTIL. Specific capacitance normalized to the electrode surface area is found to be higher in EMI+BF4– than in acetonitrile solution by 55–60%. This is due to strong screening of the electrode charge by RTIL ions in the former. The RTIL screening behavior is found to be rather insensitive to temperature T. As a result, the capacitance of supercapacitors based on pure EMI+BF4– decreases by less than 5% as T increases from 350 to 450 K. The difference in size and shape between cations and anions and the resulting difference in their local charge distribution as counterions near the electrified graphene surface yield cathode–anode asymmetry in the electrode potential in RTIL. As a consequence, specific capacitance of the positively charged electrode is higher than that of the negatively charged electrode by more than 10%. A similar degree of disparity in electrode capacitance is also found in acetonitrile solution because of its nonvanishing potential at zero charge. Despite high viscosity and low ion diffusivity of EMI+BF4–, its overall conductivity is comparable to that of the acetonitrile solution thanks to its large number of charge carriers. The present study thus suggests that as a supercapacitor electrolyte, RTILs are comparable in power density to organic electrolytes, while the former yield considerably better energy density than the latter at a given cell voltage.

Supercapacitors composed of carbon nanotube (CNT) micropores in the room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMI+BF4−) are studied via molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulations. It is found that the distribution of RTIL ions inside the micropore varies significantly with the pore size. Internal solvation of small (6,6) and (7,7) CNTs with an electrified interior wall is effected almost exclusively via counterions. Surprisingly, these counterions, even though they all have the same charge, lead to a charge density characterized by multiple layers with alternating signs. This intriguing feature is attributed to the extended nature of RTIL ion charge distributions, which result in charge separation through preferential orientation inside the electrified nanotubes. In the case of larger (10,10) and (15,15) CNTs, counterions and co-ions develop multilayer solvation structures. The specific capacitance normalized to the pore surface area is found to increase as the CNT diameter decreases from (15,15) to (7,7). As the pore size further reduces from (6,6) to (5,5), however, the specific capacitance diminishes rapidly. These findings are in excellent agreement with recent experiments with carbon-based materials. A theoretical model based on multiple charge layers is proposed to understand both the MD and experimental results.Keywords: carbon nanotube; electric double layer; imidazolium ion; ionic liquid; micropore; molecular dynamics simulations; specific capacitance; supercapacitor

Solvation structure and dynamics of a saturated solution of carbon dioxide in the room-temperature ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMI+PF6−) at 313 K and 0.15 kbar are investigated via molecular dynamics computer simulations by employing a diatomic probe solute. It is found that the mixture shows preferential solvation, which is mainly controlled by the solute−BMI+PF6− electrostatic interactions and thus dictates differing roles for CO2 as the solute charge distribution varies. The local structure and density of BMI+PF6− and CO2 in the vicinity of the solute become enhanced and reduced, respectively, as its dipole moment increases. As a result, equilibrium solvation dynamics of a nonpolar solute in the mixture have a strong CO2 character, whereas those of a dipolar solute are very similar to, albeit faster than, solvation dynamics in pure BMI+PF6−. Related nonequilibrium solvent response couched in dynamic Stokes shifts and accompanying solvation structure relaxation, in particular, CO2 structure reorganization, shows interesting dependence on the solute charge distribution. Ion transport in the mixture is much faster than in pure BMI+PF6−, indicating that the addition of cosolvent CO2 reduces the viscosity of the ionic liquid, significantly. The effective polarity of the mixture, measured as solvation-induced stabilization of a dipolar solute, is found to be comparable to that of neat BMI+PF6−, consonant with solvatochromic measurements.

The density functional method is used to obtain the molecular structure, electron density topography, and vibrational frequencies of the ion pair 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate. Different conformers are simulated on the basis of molecular interactions between the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cation and acetate anion. The lowest energy conformers exhibit strong C−H···O interionic interactions compared with other conformers. Characteristic vibrational frequencies of the ion pair and their shifts with respect to free ions are analyzed via the natural bond orbitals and difference electron density maps coupled with molecular electron density topology. Theoretically scaled vibrational frequencies are also compared with the spontaneous Raman scattering and attenuated total reflection infrared absorption measurements.

Adiabatic electron transfer (ET) in the room-temperature ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methyldicyanamide (BMI+DCA−) and in aprotic acetonitrile is studied with molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulation techniques using a model diatomic reaction complex. The influence of barrier crossing dynamics on ET kinetics is examined directly via constrained reaction coordinate MD, while the corresponding effect arising from activation and deactivation processes in the reactant and product states is analyzed with the aid of simulation results on solvation dynamics. The departure from the transition state theory (TST) rate constant caused by barrier crossing is found to be moderate and comparable in BMI+DCA− and acetonitrile despite a huge difference in their viscosity. A theoretical analysis shows that the Grote−Hynes theory yields a reasonable agreement with the MD results on barrier crossing in both solvents, whereas the Kramers theory fails completely in BMI+DCA−. The influence of activation and deactivation dynamics on ET kinetics in BMI+DCA− varies markedly with reaction free energetics because of the biphasic nature of solvation dynamics, viz., ultrafast subpicosecond relaxation followed by slow subnanosecond decay. This indicates that dynamic factors controlling adiabatic ET in BMI+DCA− transition from barrier crossing to activation/deactivation as the barrier height for the forward and/or backward reaction decreases. This regime change of ET dynamics is accompanied by the breakdown of TST as the reaction becomes activation-limited in BMI+DCA−. By contrast, activation and deactivation dynamics do not play a major role in acetonitrile.

Single- and double-walled carbon nanotubes in the armchair configuration solvated in the room-temperature ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMI+BF4−) are studied via molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulations. Cations and anions show smeared-out, cylindrical shell-like distributions outside of the nanotubes irrespective of the nanotube diameter. The ion distributions inside the nanotubes vary markedly with their diameter. For example, in the case of (n,n) single-walled nanotubes, EMI+ and BF4− ions separately form single-shell zigzag and chiral distributions for (8,8) and (10,10), respectively, while (12,12) develops a second internal solvation structure. The first internal solvation shell of (15,15) nanotubes consists of alternating layers of cations and anions along the nanotube axis. In the azimuthal direction, these cations and anions, respectively, form a pentagonal structure, whereas the corresponding ions for (20,20) show disordered octagonal structures. The smallest nanotube that allows solvent ions inside the tunnel is (7,7) with a diameter of 0.95 nm, which shows a single file distribution of internal ions. Imidazole rings of cations in the first internal and external solvation shells are mainly parallel to the nanotube surface, indicating π-stacking between the nanotubes and EMI+ ions there.Keywords: bucky gels; carbon nanotube; imidazolium ion; ionic liquid; micropore; molecular dynamics simulations; solvation

A brief account of recent simulation and theoretical model studies of various solution-phase processes in room-temperature ionic liquids is given. These include structure and dynamics of equilibrium and nonequilibrium solvation, solute rotation and vibrational energy relaxation, and free energetics and dynamics of unimolecular electron-transfer reactions. Special attention is paid to both the aspects shared by and the contrasts with polar solvents under normal conditions. A brief comparison with available experiments is also made.

Dielectric susceptibility and related conductivity of the neat ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (EMI+PF6−) are studied via molecular dynamics computer simulations. Both ion translations and reorientations contribute to dielectric relaxation, while their cross-correlation does not play any significant role. Interestingly, ion translational dynamics are found to enhance the static dielectric constant ε0. The increment in ε0 is attributed to rapid development of large anticorrelation in the autocorrelation function of the ionic current, i.e., hindered ion translations of strong librational character. One consequence of hindered translational dynamics is that the real part of conductivity has a maximum in the terahertz region and decreases with diminishing frequency. This in turn yields significant dielectric absorption in the far-IR region, consonant with recent terahertz time-domain spectroscopy measurements. Reorientational dynamics of cations show a marked deviation from diffusion. The well-known relation in the diffusion regime for reorientational correlation times τR(l) ∝ [l(l + 1)]−1 fails completely for EMI+PF6−, where l is the order of Legendre polynomials used in the expansion of reorientational time correlation functions. It is found that dielectric continuum theory generally does not provide a reliable framework to describe solvation dynamics in EMI+PF6− even though the inclusion of ion conductivity in dielectric relaxation tends to improve the continuum description. This is ascribed mainly to electrostrictive effects absent in many continuum formulations.

The structural stability of isoreticular metal organic frameworks, IRMOF-1 and IRMOF-10, confining ionic liquids (ILs) inside their nano-porous cavities is studied via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Imidazolium- and pyridinium-based ILs, including BMI+PF6−, BMI+Br−, BMI+Tf2N−, BMI+DCA−, and BuPy+Tf2N− (BMI+ = 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, PF6− = hexafluorophosphate, Br− = bromide, Tf2N− = bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, DCA− = dicyanamide, and BuPy+ = N-butylpyridinium), at different loadings are considered. It is found that both IRMOFs are structurally unstable and deform dramatically from their crystal structure in the presence of ILs. The interactions between the metallic parts of IRMOFs and IL anions play a major role in structural disruption and collapse of these MOFs. Thus elongated anions such as Tf2N− and DCA− that can interact with two different metal sites tend to lower IRMOF stability compared to spherical anions such as Br− and PF6−. A further analysis via density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations lends support to the MD results regarding structural instability of IRMOFs in the presence of ILs.

Interactions of a lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide (Li+Tf2N−) ion pair with oligoethers are investigated via density functional theory (DFT). As a model for polymer electrolytes polyethyleneoxide (PEO) and perfluoropolyether (PFPE), CR3(OCR2CR2)n=1–5OCR3 (R = H or F) is considered. Topographical analysis of the molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) is performed to determine preferential binding sites of Li+. Our study shows that the MESP value near the oxygen sites of the polymer backbone is more negative for PEO than for PFPE. This result indicates that substitution of hydrogen by fluorine in polyethers leads to reduction in Li+–polymer interactions, in concert with the experimental ionic conductivity results. S–O stretching vibrations of Tf2N− are calculated for the lithium salt in the presence and absence of electrolytes. The blue and red shifts predicted for S–O stretching are further explained by natural bond orbital analysis and molecular electron density topography. The S–O stretching vibrations can be used as a useful tool to understand the ion pair interactions and thus ion transport phenomena in polymer electrolytes.

Correction for ‘A molecular dynamics study of the ionic liquid, choline acetate’ by Jon A. L. Willcox et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016, 18, 14850–14858.

Ionic liquids (ILs) provide a promising medium for CO2 capture. Recently, the family of ILs comprising imidazolium-based cations and acetate anions, such as 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMI+OAc−), has been found to react with CO2 and form carboxylate compounds. N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) is widely assumed to be responsible by directly reacting with CO2 though NHC has not been detected in these ILs. Herein, a computational analysis of CO2 capture in EMI+OAc− is presented. Quantum chemistry calculations predict that NHC is unstable in a polar environment, suggesting that NHC is not formed in EMI+OAc−. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations indicate that an EMI+ ion “activated” by the approach of a CO2 molecule can donate its acidic proton to a neighboring OAc− anion and form a carboxylate compound with the CO2 molecule. Analysis of this termolecular process indicates that the EMI+-to-OAc− proton transfer and the formation of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium-2-carboxylate occur essentially concurrently. Based on these findings, a novel concerted mechanism that does not involve NHC is proposed for CO2 capture.

The structure and dynamics of benzene inside and outside of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in the (n,n) armchair configuration are studied via molecular dynamics computer simulations. Irrespective of the nanotube diameter, benzene molecules form cylindrical solvation shell structures on the outside of the nanotubes. Their molecular planes near the SWNTs in the first external solvation shell are oriented parallel to the nanotube surface, forming a π-stacked structure between the two. By contrast, the benzene distributions in the interior of the SWNTs are found to vary markedly with the nanotube diameter. In the case of the (7,7) and (8,8) nanotubes, internal benzene forms a single-file distribution, either in a vertex-to-vertex (n = 7) or face-to-face (n = 8) orientation between two neighboring molecules. Inside a slightly wider (9,9) nanotube channel, however, a cylindrical single-shell distribution of benzene arises. A secondary solvation structure, which begins to appear inside (10,10), develops into a full structure separate from the first internal solvation shell in (12,12). The ring orientation of internal benzene is generally parallel to the nanotube wall for n = 9–12, while it becomes either slanted with respect to (n = 7), or perpendicular to (n = 8), the nanotube axis. The confinement inside the small nanotube pores exerts a strong influence on the dynamics of benzene. Both translational and rotational dynamics inside SWNTs are slower and more anisotropic than in liquid benzene. It is also found that reorientational dynamics of internal benzene deviate dramatically from the rotational diffusion regime and change substantially with the nanotube diameter.

Structural and dynamic properties of the ionic liquid (IL) choline acetate are studied using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The hydroxyl group of choline shows significant hydrogen-bonding interactions with the oxygen atoms of acetate. Nearly all choline cations are found to form a hydrogen bond with acetate anions at 400 K, while about 67% of cations participate in hydrogen-bonding interactions at 600 K. At 400 K, subdiffusive and prominent non-Gaussian behavior persist for t > 10 ns. At 600 K, the usual diffusion regime is obtained after a few hundred ps of subdiffusive behavior. Analysis of reorientational motions of acetate ions, particularly those of their short axes, indicates a high degree of dynamic heterogeneity, in agreement with previous work on different IL systems.