Structure, dynamics and vibrational spectrum of supercritical CO2/H2O mixtures from ab initio molecular dynamics as a function of water cluster formation

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the effect of water-cluster formation in the supercritical (SC) systems CO(2)/(H(2)O)(n) as a function of water content using DFT-based molecular dynamics simulations. The dependence of the intermolecular and intramolecular structure and dynamic properties upon water concentration in the supercritical CO(2)/H(2)O phase at a density of 0.74 g cm(-3) and temperature of 318.15 K is investigated in detail and compared to previous studies of the pure sc-CO(2) system, single D(2)O in sc-CO(2), and Monte-Carlo simulations of a single water molecule in sc-CO(2) phase. Analysis of radial and orientational distribution functions of the intermolecular interactions shows that the presence of water molecules does not disturb the previously established distorted T-shaped orientation of CO(2) molecules, though there is evidence of perturbation of the second shell structure which enhances the preference for the slipped parallel orientation in this region. There is also evidence of short-lived hydrogen bonds between CO(2) and water molecules. For higher water concentrations, water clustering is observed, consistent with the low solubility of water in CO(2) under these conditions of temperature and pressure. Finally, the water-water and water-CO(2) interactions are discussed and analyzed in terms of the water self-association and thermodynamic quantities derived from the molecular dynamics simulations.