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At least 19 records

Influence of intermolecular interactions on the infrared complex indices of refraction for binary liquid mixtures

This paper investigates the accuracy of deriving the composite optical constants of binary mixtures from only the complex indices of refraction of the neat materials. These optical constants enable the reflectance spectra of the binary mixtures to be modeled for multiple scenarios (e.g., different substrates, thicknesses, volume ratios), which is important for contact and standoff chemical detection. Using volume fractions, each mixture's complex index of refraction was approximated via three different mixing rules. To explore the impact of intermolecular interactions, these predictions are tested by experimental measurements for two representative sets of binary mixtures: (1) tributyl phosphate combined with n-dodecane, a non-polar medium, to represent mixtures which primarily interact via dispersion forces and (2) tributyl phosphate and 1-butanol to represent mixtures with polar functional groups that can also interact via dipole–dipole interactions, including hydrogen bonding. The residuals and the root-mean-square error between the experimental and calculated index values are computed and demonstrate that for miscible liquids in which the average geometry of the cross-interactions can be considered isotropic (e.g., dispersion), the refractive indices of the mixtures can be modeled using composite n and k values derived from volume fractions of the neat liquids. Conversely, in spectral regions where the geometry of the cross-interactions is more restricted and anisotropic (e.g., hydrogen bonding), the calculated n and k values vary from the measured values. The impact of these interactions on the reflectance spectra are then compared by modeling a thin film of the binary mixtures on an aluminum substrate using both the measured and the mathematically computed indices of refraction.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Thermodynamic modeling of adsorption at the liquid-solid interface

Adsorptive separation techniques are significantly energy efficient in comparison to conventional thermal separation techniques such as distillation. Despite extensive research and development activities undertaken for mixed-gas adsorption, the use of adsorption techniques for the separation of multicomponent liquid mixtures is still limited. A major barrier is the lack of accurate adsorption thermodynamic models, which form the scientific foundation of process simulation of such systems, making the translation to industrial scale challenging. In this work, we have rigorously computed the surface excess of adsorption for six binary liquid mixtures on silica gel at 303 K using the frameworks of the generalized Langmuir isotherm (gL) and the adsorbed solution theory (AST). The six binary liquid mixtures were formed by the pair-wise combinations of four components: benzene, 1,2-dichloroethane, cyclohexane, and n-heptane. We have based our calculations by considering simultaneous equilibria of three phases: saturated vapor phase, bulk liquid phase, and adsorbed phase. Further, the composition of the corresponding saturated vapor phase was estimated by the Nonrandom Two-Liquid activity coefficient model and experimental vapor-liquid equilibria data. The activity coefficients of the adsorbed phase, the central issue of multicomponent adsorption thermodynamics, were calculated using the adsorption Nonrandom Two-Liquid activity coefficient model. Devoid of simplifying assumptions, gL and AST provide rigorous thermodynamic frameworks for adsorption equilibria of multicomponent liquid mixtures.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Reinforcement learning based hybrid bond-order coarse-grained interatomic potentials for exploring mesoscale aggregation in liquid–liquid mixtures

Exploring mesoscopic physical phenomena has always been a challenge for brute-force all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Although recent advances in computing hardware have improved the accessible length scales, reaching mesoscopic timescales is still a significant bottleneck. Coarse-graining of all-atom models allows robust investigation of mesoscale physics with a reduced spatial and temporal resolution but preserves desired structural features of molecules, unlike continuum-based methods. Here, we present a hybrid bond-order coarse-grained forcefield (HyCG) for modeling mesoscale aggregation phenomena in liquid–liquid mixtures. The intuitive hybrid functional form of the potential offers interpretability to our model, unlike many machine learning based interatomic potentials. We parameterize the potential with the continuous action Monte Carlo Tree Search (cMCTS) algorithm, a reinforcement learning (RL) based global optimizing scheme, using training data from all-atom simulations. The resulting RL-HyCG correctly describes mesoscale critical fluctuations in binary liquid–liquid extraction systems. cMCTS, the RL algorithm, accurately captures the mean behavior of various geometrical properties of the molecule of interest, which were excluded from the training set. The developed potential model along with the RL-based training workflow could be applied to explore a variety of other mesoscale physical phenomena that are typically inaccessible to all-atom molecular dynamics simulations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Behavior of astatine and bismuth in non-conventional solvents: Extraction into imidazolium-based ionic liquid and methyl anthranilate with active pharmaceuticals binary mixtures from nitric acid media

Astatine is one of the least chemically studied elements and its behavior in the presence of non- conventional solvents has not been investigated before. This work considers both hydrophobic ionic liquids and binary mixtures as alternatives to conventional solvents. The study is based on the extraction of astatine and bismuth (target material required to produce astatine) into imidazolium-based ionic liquid, and binary mixtures formed by active pharmaceuticals (ibuprofen, lidocaine) and a food grade ingredient (methyl anthranilate). It is shown that both the ionic liquid and binary mixtures can successfully extract At from nitric acid media, but extraction of Bi into the ionic liquid is very inefficient, resulting in a good separation factor for these two elements in the entire studied acidity range. Extraction of At into binary mixtures is very efficient, having distribution ratio values as high as 1000, while the behavior of Bi under these conditions depends on the composition of the mixture. Furthermore, a mathematical model has been developed to fit both At and Bi experimental data and applied to determine corresponding thermodynamic extraction constants.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Vapor and Liquid ( p –ρ– T–x ) Measurements of Binary Refrigerant Blends Containing R-32, R-152a, R-227ea, R-1234yf, and R-1234ze(E)

In this article, The pressure–density–temperature–composition (p–ρ–T–x) data of binary refrigerant mixtures containing R-32 (difluoromethane), R-152a (1,1,-difluoroethane), R-227ea (1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane), R-1234yf (2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene), and R-1234ze(E) (trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene) were measured in both the vapor and liquid phases using a two-sinker, magnetic suspension densimeter. The specific samples in this study comprised two compositions of approximately (0.3/0.7) and (0.7/0.3) mole fraction for each of the following four binary refrigerant blends: R-32 + R-1234yf, R-32 + R-1234ze(E), R-1234yf + R-152a, and R-1234ze(E) + R-227ea. Single-phase vapor densities were measured over a temperature range of approximately 253 to 293 K and pressures from 0.05 to 0.98 MPa. Single-phase liquid and supercritical densities were measured over a temperature range of approximately 230 to 400 K and pressures up to 22 MPa; for refrigerant blends containing R-1234yf, the maximum pressure was limited to 14 MPa. Overall relative combined, expanded (k = 2) uncertainties in density ranged from 0.025 to 0.191%, with an average uncertainty of approximately 0.05%. Here, we present measurement results, along with comparisons to available literature data and to default equations of state and mixture models included in REFPROP.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Identifying High Ionic Conductivity Compositions of Ionic Liquid Electrolytes Using Features of the Solvation Environment

Binary mixtures of ionic liquids with molecular solvents are gaining interest in electrochemical applications due to the improvement in their performance over neat ionic liquids. Dilution with suitable molecular solvents can reduce the viscosity and facilitate faster diffusion of ions, thereby yielding substantially higher ionic conductivity than that for a pure ionic liquid. Although viscosity and diffusion coefficients typically behave as monotonic functions of concentration, ionic conductivity often passes through a peak value at an optimum molar ratio of the molecular solvent to the ionic liquid. The ionic conductivity maximum is generally explained in terms of a balance between the ease of charge transport and the concentration of the charge carriers. In this work, fluctuation in the local environment surrounding an ion is invoked as a plausible explanation for the ionic conductivity mechanism with a binary mixture of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate and ethylene glycol as an example. The magnitude of the dynamism in the local environment is captured by measuring the spatial and temporal features of the solvation environment. Standard deviation in the number of ions in the solvation environment serves as a spatial feature, while the cage correlation lifetimes for oppositely charged ions within the first solvation shell serve as a temporal feature. Large standard deviations in the cluster ion population and short cage correlation lifetimes are indicators of highly dynamic ionic environment at the molecular level and consequently yield high ionic conductivity. Such compositions were found to be in good agreement with the optimum ionic liquid mole fractions obtained through experimental measurement. Short cage correlation lifetimes enable the identification of optimum mixture compositions using simulation trajectories significantly shorter than those required to implement the Nernst–Einstein or Einstein formalisms for calculating ionic conductivity. We validated the applicability of this approach across force fields and in six ionic liquid-molecular solvent electrolytes formed with combination of cations, anions, and solvents. We offer a computationally efficient approach of screening ionic liquid-molecular solvent binary mixture electrolytes to identify molar ratios that yield high ionic conductivity.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Liquid state properties and solidification features of the pseudo binary BaS-La 2 S 3

The high temperature thermodynamic properties of chalcogenides materials based on BaS remain elusive. Herein the pseudo binary BaS-La 2 S 3 is investigated above 1573 K. The liquid properties of BaS-La 2 S 3 are measured by means of high resolution in-situ visualization coupled with thermal arrest measurements in a thermal imaging furnace. This enables to report the first observation of such melts in a container-less setting. The melting points of BaS and La 2 S 3 are revisited at 2454 K and 2004 K respectively. La 2 S 3 demonstrates a high stability in its liquid state, in strike difference with the sublimation observed for BaS. BaS is however partially stabilized with the addition of few percents of La 2 S 3 . The remarkable chemical and thermal stability of La 2 S 3 -rich samples contrasts with the partial decomposition and high vapor pressure observed for BaS-rich samples. Observations and analysis of the solidified samples suggest three different solid solutions. Solid and liquid densities are investigated along the different compositions, supporting a first estimate of the volumetric thermal expansion coefficient for La 2 S 3 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Designing Glass and Crystalline Phases of Metal–Bis(acetamide) Networks to Promote High Optical Contrast

Owing to their high tunability and predictable structures, metal–organic materials offer a powerful platform to study glass formation and crystallization processes and to design glasses with unique properties. In this work, we report a novel series of glass-forming metal–ethylenebis(acetamide) networks that undergo reversible glass and crystallization transitions below 200 °C. The glass-transition temperatures, crystallization kinetics, and glass stability of these materials are readily tunable, either by synthetic modification or by liquid-phase blending, to form binary glasses. Pair distribution function (PDF) analysis reveals extended structural correlations in both single and binary metal–bis(acetamide) glasses and highlights the important role of metal–metal correlations during structural evolution across glass–crystal transitions. Notably, the glass and crystalline phases of a Co–ethylenebis(acetamide) binary network feature a large reflectivity contrast ratio of 4.8 that results from changes in the local coordination environment around Co centers. These results provide new insights into glass–crystal transitions in metal–organic materials and have exciting implications for optical switching, rewritable data storage, and functional glass ceramics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Complete separation of benzene-cyclohexene-cyclohexane mixtures via temperature-dependent molecular sieving by a flexible chain-like coordination polymer

Abstract The separation and purification of C6 cyclic hydrocarbons (benzene, cyclohexene, cyclohexane) represent a critically important but energy intensive process. Developing adsorptive separation technique to replace thermally driven distillation processes holds great promise to significantly reduce energy consumption. Here we report a flexible one-dimensional coordination polymer as an efficient adsorbent to discriminate ternary C6 cyclic hydrocarbons via an ideal molecular sieving mechanism. The compound undergoes fully reversible structural transformation associated with removal/re-coordination of water molecules and between activated and hydrocarbon-loaded forms. It exhibits distinct temperature- and adsorbate-dependent adsorption behavior which facilitates the complete separation of benzene, cyclohexene and cyclohexane from their binary and ternary mixtures, with the record-high uptake ratios for C 6 H 6 /C 6 H 12 and C 6 H 10 /C 6 H 12 in vapor phase and highest binary and ternary selectivities in liquid phase. In situ infrared spectroscopic analysis and ab initio calculations provide insight into the host-guest interactions and their effect on the preferential adsorption and structural transformation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Impulse-driven release of gas-encapsulated drops

Gas-encapsulated drops, much like antibubbles, are drops enclosed in a bubble within a liquid. They show potential as payload carriers in fluid transport and mixing techniques where sound waves can be leveraged to induce the collapse of the gas core and the subsequent release of the drop. Here, the interaction of millimetre-sized gas-encapsulated drops with impulsive laser-induced shock waves is investigated to gain fundamental insights into the release process. Experimental synchrotron X-ray phase contrast imaging, which allows the drop dynamics to be visualised inside the encapsulating bubble, is complemented by numerical simulations to study the intricate physics at play. Three drop dynamical release regimes are discovered, namely the drop impact , partial deposition and jet impact regimes. The regime type is mainly dependent on the shape of the bubble interface impacting the drop and the associated Weber and Reynolds numbers. The drop dynamics of the drop impact and partial deposition regimes show similarities with the canonical configuration of drops impacting flat liquid surfaces, whereas the jet impact regime resembles binary drop collisions, which allows existing scaling laws to be applied to describe the underlying processes. The release of the drop is investigated numerically. The time evolution of the drop dissemination within the surrounding liquid discloses enhanced mixing for dynamics involving high Weber and Reynolds numbers such as the drop impact and jet impact regimes.

42 ENGINEERING↗

A generalized analytical energy balance model for evaluating agglomeration from a binary collision of wet particles

Agglomeration of wet particles, i.e., particles coated with a thin liquid layer, is a common phenomenon in many processes like fluidized bed combustion of low rank fuels. The availability of an agglomeration model that can evaluate the outcome of a binary collision between wet particles differing in solid particle properties, liquid layer thicknesses, and initial collision (impact) speeds is essential for obtaining a comprehensive understanding on the existing processes experiencing wet particle agglomeration or for a successful development of new processes with high chances of wet particle agglomeration. This study presents a generalized agglomeration model on the basis of energy conservation before and after collision when colliding wet particles may differ in solid particle properties, liquid layer thicknesses, and impact speeds. The model was established based on the approximate values of energy losses that may happen during the collision. It incorporates body forces, solid-solid contacting, liquid capillary, and viscous contributions, as well as the liquid bridge volume effect. Predictions of the new model for collision outcomes of identical wet particles were like those from an analytical energy balance model developed recently by the group for identical wet particles. We also validated the new model by experimental data from literature. The results of a collision direction analysis indicated that the direction often has a minimal effect on the collision outcome in many practical scenarios. The results of Monte Carlo uncertainty analyses with the new model revealed that proper estimations of impact speed, under capillary limiting conditions, and thickness of coating layers and asperity heights, under viscous limiting conditions, are critical for the realistic prediction of collision outcomes at impact speeds close to critical impact speed, i.e., the minimum particle speed required for the particles to rebound.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Extracted Water Induces Concentration Fluctuations in Model Ternary Liquid–Liquid Extraction System

Organic phase aggregation and phase splitting are two important (and connected) phenomena in liquid–liquid extraction of metal ions. Previously, we demonstrated how structure in binary mixtures of extractant and diluent originates from concentration fluctuations associated with the so-called “third-phase formation” liquid–liquid phase instability. For more complex systems, we sought to understand how extracted aqueous components affect these concentration fluctuations. Here, in this study, we use small-angle X-ray scattering and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate organic phase structural changes upon contact with water in a model ternary system of water/alkane/extractant. Critical exponents were determined from scattering with temperature variation and were consistent with mean field values. Then, by controlling the water content in the organic phase through direct dissolution of fixed quantities at constant temperature, we relate the observed increase in the fluctuation length scale to changes to the spinodal temperature of the third-phase formation phase boundary. We find a roughly linear relationship between water concentration and the spinodal temperature and a similar slope in that relationship for different linear alkane diluents. This suggests that the mechanism by which water extraction impacts the organic phase structure is to enhance concentration fluctuations through the introduction of additional polar extractant-water complexes, which increases the spinodal temperature and thereby decreases the reduced temperature, i.e., the distance to the instability. This explanation for how solutes induce aggregation in liquid–liquid extraction organic phases may extend to more complex systems, explaining the large increases in correlation lengths reported under high acid and metal loading.

Bonnett, Brittany L. [Argonne National Laboratory ↗

Solvent Processing and Ionic Liquid-Enabled Long-Range Vertical Ordering in Block Copolymer Films with Enhanced Film Stability

Rapid and reliable processing methods for forming ordered block copolymer (BCP) materials with low defect density in a thin film geometry are required for many nanotechnology applications. Vertically aligned BCP structures, in particular, have applications ranging from nanolithography for electronics and photonics to nanoporous membranes for water remediation and novel batteries for flexible electronics. However, the attainment of nearly complete vertical orientational order of the BCP ordered phase remains challenging. Solvent-based techniques, such as direct immersion annealing (DIA) and solvent vapor annealing (SVA), have immense potential for these applications of BCP films, as it allows for tuning of their thermodynamic, structural, and chain mobility driven kinetic properties. We first demonstrate that DIA, using a judicious choice of binary solvent mixtures along with a relatively hydrophobic ionic liquid (IL), induces the rapid vertical ordering in polystyrene-b-polymethylmethacrylate (PS-PMMA) block copolymer in lamellar films. The IL establishes synergy to the binary solvent mixture of toluene and heptane to 1 create a near-neutral solvent environment for attaining the vertical microstructure of the BCP. Next, we show that IL can suppress the de-wetting of the PS-PMMA films to achieve long-range order using SVA in cylindrical films for long annealing times. Both vertical and horizontal morphology is attained in these films by selecting different solvent environments. Furthermore, attaining enhanced vertical and horizontal BCP structure with long-range defect-free order by tuning solvent quality and using additives like IL can render them useful for many nanotech applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Rigidity‐Driven Structural Isomers in the NaCl–Ga 2 S 3 System: Implications for Energy Storage

Alternative energy sources require the search for innovative materials with promising functionalities. Systems with unusual chemical properties represent an insufficiently explored domain, concealing unexpected features. Using diffraction and Raman spectroscopy over a wide temperature range, supported by first‐principles simulations, a rare phenomenon is unveiled: phase‐dependent chemical interactions between binary components in the NaCl–Ga 2 S 3 system. In this unique occurrence, previously intact binary crystalline species transform upon melting into mixed liquid structural isomers, forming bonds with new partners. The chemical combinatorics appears to be fully reversible for stable crystals and liquids. Despite this, rapidly frozen glasses out of thermodynamic equilibrium remain in a metastable isomeric state, offering remarkable properties, particularly a high room‐temperature Na + conductivity, comparable to the best sodium halide superionic conductors and therefore encouraging for sodium solid‐state batteries and energy applications. A rigidity paradigm is responsible for the observed phenomenon, as the extremely constrained Ga 2 S 3 crystal lattice does not survive viscous flow, breaking up at a short‐range level. The removal of rigidity constraints and dense packing leads to a significant increase in empty space, which is the origin of high sodium diffusivity. Broadly, the rigidity‐driven structural isomerism opens up an inspiring path to the discovery of atypical materials.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Additively manufactured Ni-20Cr to V functionally graded material: Computational predictions and experimental verification of phase formations

Throughout this work, a database for the Cr-Ni-V system was constructed by modeling the binary Cr-V and ternary Cr-Ni-V systems using the CALPHAD approach aided by density functional theory (DFT)-based first-principles calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. To validate this new database, a functionally graded material (FGM) using Ni-20Cr and elemental V was fabricated using directed energy deposition additive manufacturing (DED AM) and experimentally characterized. The deposited Ni-20Cr was pure fcc phase, while increasing the amount of V across the gradient resulted in the formation of sigma phase, followed by the bcc phase. The experimentally measured phase data was compared with computational predictions made using a Cr-Ni-V thermodynamic database from the literature as well as the database developed in the present work. The newly developed database was shown to better predict the experimentally observed phases due to its accurate modeling of binary systems within the database and the ternary liquid phase, which is critical for accurate Scheil calculations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Anomalous interfacial dynamics of single proton charges in binary aqueous solutions

Our understanding of the dynamics of charge transfer between solid surfaces and liquid electrolytes has been hampered by the difficulties in obtaining interface, charge, and solvent-specific information at both high spatial and temporal resolution. Here, we measure at the single charge scale the dynamics of protons at the interface between an hBN crystal and binary mixtures of water and organic amphiphilic solvents (alcohols and acetone), evidencing a marked influence of solvation on interfacial dynamics. Applying single-molecule localization microscopy to emissive crystal defects, we observe correlated activation between adjacent ionizable surface defects, mediated by the transport of single excess protons along the solid/liquid interface. Solvent content has a nontrivial effect on interfacial dynamics, leading at intermediate water fraction to an increased surface diffusivity, as well as an increased affinity of the proton charges to the solid surface. Our measurements evidence the notable role of solvation on interfacial proton charge transport.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗