Mercedes-Benz Research Articles

The phase diagram of Mercedes Benz model of water using nested sampling algorithm and molecular dynamics simulations

The Mercedes Benz (MB) model of water is quite popular for explaining the properties of water, but the complete phase diagram has not yet been published. In the MB model, water molecules are modelled as two-dimensional Lennard-Jones discs, with three orientation-dependent hydrogen-bonding arms arranged as in the MB logo. Nested Sampling (NS) is a powerful sampling algorithm for the parameter space that directly calculates the partition function. NS can be used for sampling the equilibrium thermodynamics of atomistic systems and allows access to all thermodynamic quantities in absolute terms, including absolute free energies and absolute entropies. Here, NS is used to calculate the phase diagram of the simple two-dimensional Mercedes-Benz (MB) model of water. 32 water particles were used in NS. While this number of particles provides sufficient agreement with the simulations, the results from fewer particles slowly begin to diverge from the result from NS with 32 particles as some of the equilibrium lines begin to shift. By combining the results from NS and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, different phases were located and identified. In total, 5 different solid phases, 3 liquid phases and one gaseous phase were observed.

Code for molecular dynamics simulation of two dimensional Mercedes-Benz water model

The Mercedes-Benz (MB) water model is a simple two-dimensional toy model of water that can reproduce many of the anomalous properties of water. Within the model, the water particles are represented as Lennard-Jones disks with explicitly added orientation-dependent interactions that mimic the formation of hydrogen bonds. Due to the simple implementation of the MB model in Monte Carlo simulations, it was mainly studied with Monte Carlo simulations in different ensembles. The implementation of the model in molecular dynamics simulations is not trivial. In this paper we present the code for molecular dynamics simulations. The structural and thermodynamic properties of the model were calculated using molecular dynamics and compared with data from Monte Carlo simulations to confirm that the molecular dynamics code works correctly. We also used molecular dynamics to calculate the dynamic properties of the model. The Fortran source code of our molecular dynamics simulation of the MB water model is provided.

The Magnetic Field Freezes the Mercedes-Benz Water Model.

In this study, we investigate the impact of magnetic fields on the structural and thermodynamic properties of water. To accomplish this, we employed the Mercedes-Benz (MB) model, a two-dimensional representation of water using Lennard-Jones disks with angle-dependent interactions that closely mimic hydrogen bond formation. We extended the MB model by introducing two charges to enable interaction with the magnetic field. Employing molecular dynamics simulations, we thoroughly explored the thermodynamic properties concerning various magnetic flux intensities. As a result, we observed that under a weak magnetic flux, the property of water remained unaltered, while a stronger flux astonishingly led to the freezing of water molecules. Furthermore, our study revealed that once a specific flux magnitude was reached, the density anomaly disappeared, and an increase in flux caused the MB particles to form a glassy state.

Ben Naim's four-arm model with density anomaly: Theory and computer simulations.

Molecular dynamics, Wertheim's integral equationtheory (IET), and thermodynamics perturbation theory (TPT) were used to study the thermodynamics and structure of particles interacting through angle-dependent potential. The particles are modeled as two-dimensional Lennard-Jones disks with four hydrogen bonding arms arranged symmetrically. The model was introduced by Ben-Naim and we call it the BN4 model. The BN4 model exhibits density anomaly and other anomalous properties similar to those in water and in the Mercedes-Benz (MB) model. The IET is based on the orientationally averaged version of the Ornstein-Zernike equationand correctly predicts the pair correlation function of the model at high temperatures. Both TPT and IET are in semiquantitative agreement with the simulation values of the molar volume, isothermal compressibility, thermal expansion coefficient, and heat capacity.

Hierarchy of anomalies in the simple rose model of water

The density, diffusion, and structural anomalies of the simple two-dimensional model of water were determined by Monte Carlo simulations. The rose model was used which is a very simple model for explaining the origin of water properties. Rose water molecules are modelled as two-dimensional Lennard-Jones disks with rose potentials for orientation dependent pairwise interactions mimicking formations of hydrogen bonds. The model can be seen also as a variance of silica-like models. Two parameters of potential in this work were selected in a way that (1) the model exhibits similar properties to Mercedes-Benz (MB) water model; and (2) that the model has real-like properties of water. Beside the known thermodynamic anomaly for the model we also found diffusion and structural anomalies. The orientational order parameters were calculated and maximum encountered for three and six-fold symmetry. For the MB parametrization, the anomalies occur in hierarchy order, which is a slight variation of the hierarchy order in real water. The diffusion anomaly region is the innermost in the hierarchy while for water it is the density anomaly region. In case of real water parametrization the most inner is the structural anomaly.

The electric field changes the anomalous properties of the Mercedes Benz water model.

The influence of a homogeneous constant electric field on water properties was assessed. We used a simple two-dimensional statistical mechanical model called the Mercedes-Benz (MB) model of water in the study. The MB water molecules are two-dimensional disks with Gaussian arms that mimic the formation of hydrogen bonds. The model is modified with added charges for interaction with the electric field. The influence of the strength of the electric field on the water's properties was studied using Monte Carlo simulations. The structure and thermodynamics of the water were determined as a function of the strength of the electric field. We observed that the properties and phase transitions of the water in the low strength electric field does not change. In contrast, the high strength electric field shifts boiling and melting points as well as the position of the density maxima. After further increasing the strength of the electric field the density anomaly disappears.

Monte Carlo simulations of simple two dimensional water-alcohol mixtures

Simple alcohols such as methanol and ethanol, are organic chemicals that can be used to store energy, which can be used as an alternative to fossil fuels. Each alcohol has at least one hydroxyl group attached to a carbon atom of an alkyl group. They can be considered as organic derivatives of water in which one of the hydrogen atoms is replaced by an alkyl group. In this work, we determined the thermodynamic and structural properties of two dimensional water-alcohol mixtures using the Monte Carlo method. We used two-dimensional Mercedes-Benz (MB) model for water and MB based models for lower alcohols. The structural and thermodynamic properties of the mixtures were studied by Monte Carlo simulations in the isothermal-isobaric ensemble. We show that 2D models display similar trends in the density maxima as in real water-alcohol mixtures. With increasing content of alcohols, the temperature of maxima increases and upon further increase starts to decrease and at high concentrations, the density maxima disappears.

Liquid-vapour coexistence line and percolation line of rose water model

Monte Carlo simulations and Wertheim’s thermodynamic perturbation theory (TPT) are used to predict the phase diagram and percolation curve for the simple two-dimensional rose model of water. In the rose model of water, the water molecules are modelled as two-dimensional Lennard-Jones disks, with additional rose potentials for orientation dependent pairwise interactions that mimic formation of hydrogen bonds. Modifying both the shape and range of a 3-petal rose function, it was constructed an efficient and dynamical mimic of the 2D Mercedes Benz (MB) water model and experimental water. The liquid part of the phase space is explored using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations and two versions of Wertheim’s TPT for associative fluids. We find that the theory reproduces well the physical properties of hot water but is less successful at capturing the more structured hydrogen bonding that occurs in cold water. In addition to reporting the phase diagram and percolation curve of the model, it is shown that the improved TPT predicts the phase diagram rather well, while the standard one predicts a phase transition at lower temperatures. For the percolation line, both versions have problems predicting the correct position of the line at high temperatures.

Statistical-mechanical liquid theories reproduce anomalous thermodynamic properties of explicit two-dimensional water models.

We have developed an analytical theory for a simple model of liquid water. We apply Wertheim's thermodynamic perturbation theory (TPT) and integral equation theory (IET) for associative liquids to the rose model, which is among the simplest models of water. The particles interact through rose potentials for orientation dependent pairwise interactions. Modifying both the shape and range of a three-petal rose function, we construct an efficient and dynamical mimic of the two-dimensional (2D) Mercedes-Benz (MB) water model. The particles in 2D MB are 2D Lennard-Jones disks with three hydrogen bonding arms arranged symmetrically, resembling the Mercedes-Benz logo. Both models qualitatively predict both the anomalous properties of pure water and the anomalous solvation thermodynamics of nonpolar molecules. The IET is based on the orientationally averaged version of the Ornstein-Zernike equation. This is one of the main approximations in the present work. IET correctly predicts the pair correlation functions at high temperatures. Both TPT and IET are in semi-quantitative agreement with the Monte Carlo values of the molar volume, isothermal compressibility, thermal expansion coefficient, and heat capacity. A major advantage of these theories is that they require orders of magnitude less computer time than the Monte Carlo simulations.

Analytical Modeling of Thermodynamic and Transport Anomalies of Water

The structures and properties of biomolecules like proteins, nucleic acids, and membranes depend on water. Water is also very important in industry. Overall, water is an unusual substance with more than 70 anomalous properties. The understanding of water is advancing significantly due to the theoretical and computational modeling. There are different kinds of models, models with fine-scale properties and increasing structural detail with increasing computational expense, and simple models, which focus on global properties of water like thermodynamics, phase diagram and are less computationally expensive. Simplified models give a better understanding of water in ways that complement more complex models. Here, we review analytical modelling of properties of water on different levels, the two- and three-dimensional Mercedes- Benz (MB) models of water and experimental water.

The effect of rotational degrees of freedom on solvation of nonpolar solute

We have studied the effect of rotational and translational degrees of freedom on solvation of nonpolar solutes. In this study a simple two-dimensional Mercedes-Benz (MB) water model was used. By separating temperature on rotational and translational part, the effect of different degrees of freedom on solvation was investigated. Increasing rotational temperature reduces tendency of water to form hydrogen bonds, therefore the effect of rotational degrees of freedom on solvation can be used to assess how hydrogen bonds affect solvation and what kind of liquid is more favourable for solvation of different solute. Considering the size there are three different regimes of solvation of nonpolar solutes and the effect of hydrogen bonds. The rotational temperature and thus hydrogen bonds have almost zero effect on solvation and aggregation of small solutes which are equally soluble in liquids that do and liquids that do not form hydrogen bonds. When size of solute is larger than HB length increasing rotational temperature improves solvation and diminishes association of solute molecules, thus large solutes are more soluble in liquids without hydrogen bonds. On the other hand when solute size is similar to HB length, increasing rotational temperature diminishes solvation and improves association of solute molecules, thus solutes of similar size are more soluble in liquid with hydrogen bonds, that means hydrogen bonds have favourable effect on solvation of such solutes. Hydrophobic effect appears only when solute is larger than HB length, on the other hand when solute size is similar to HB length inverse hydrophobic effect appears.

Thermodynamic perturbation theory for rotational degrees of freedom. Application to the Mercedes–Benz water model

We developed a fast theory for studying how the rotational temperature (and rotational degrees of freedom) affects the properties of a simple model of liquid water. Wertheim's Thermodynamic perturbation theory (TPT) for associative liquids was applied to the Mercedes-Benz (MB) model. 2D MB model is one of the simplest models of water. The MB particles are modelled as Lennard-Jones disks with three hydrogen bonding arms arranged symmetrically as in the MB logo. We previously applied TPT to this model. We found that the physical properties were well reproduced by the theory. Here, we propose an modified version of the thermodynamic perturbation theory in which it is possible to treat rotational degrees of freedom by using different averaging then used before. By holding translational or rotational temperature constant and varying the other one, we investigate their effect on the properties of the simple water model and how well TPT reproduces computer simulation results. The new results are in good agreement with the Monte Carlo values of the pressure and energy. We also investigated how rotational temperature affects thermodynamic properties of the critical point. A major advantage of these theories is that they require orders of magnitude less computer time than the Monte Carlo simulations.

Integral equation study of the effects of rotational degrees of freedom on properties of the Mercedes–Benz water model

We developed an analytical theory for studying of rotational degrees of freedom of a simple model of liquid water. Wertheim's integral equation theory (IET) for associative liquids was applied to the Mercedes-Benz (MB) model, which is among the simplest models of water. The MB water molecules are modeled as 2-dimensional Lennard-Jones disks with three hydrogen bonding arms arranged symmetrically, resembling the MB logo. IET is based on the orientationally averaged version of the Ornstein-Zernike equation. In varying of rotational degrees of freedom we use different averaging then used before. By holding one of the temperatures constant and varying the other one, we investigate the effect of faster motion in the corresponding degrees of freedom on the properties of the simple water model and how well IET reproduce computer simulation results. The pair correlation function of the model water at high rotational or translation temperatures is correctly predicted. IET results are in good agreement with the Monte Carlo values of the pressure, energy, heat capacity. A major advantage of these theories is that they require orders of magnitude less computer time than the Monte Carlo simulations.

Hierarchy of anomalies in the two-dimensional Mercedes-Benz model of water.

We investigate by Monte Carlo simulations density, diffusion, and structural anomalies of the simple two-dimensional Mercedes-Benz (MB) model of water, which is a very simple toy model for explaining the origin of water properties. MB water molecules are modeled as two-dimensional Lennard-Jones disks, with three orientation-dependent hydrogen-bonding arms, arranged as in the MB logo. The model is in a way also a variance of silica-like models. Beside the known thermodynamic anomaly for the model we also found diffusion and structural anomalies and map out the cascade of density, structural, pair entropy, and diffusivity anomalies for MB model. The orientational order parameters with three and six-fold symmetry were determined and maximum for each one observed. The anomalies occur in hierarchy order, which is a slight variation of the hierarchy order in real water. The diffusion anomaly region is the innermost in the hierarchy while for water it is the density anomaly region.

A simple two dimensional model of methanol

Methanol is the simplest alcohol and possible energy carrier because it is easier to store than hydrogen and burns cleaner than fossil fuels. It is a colorless liquid, completely miscible with water and organic solvents and is very hygroscopic. Here, simple two-dimensional models of methanol, based on Mercedes–Benz (MB) model of water, are examined by Monte Carlo simulations. Methanol particles are modeled as dimers formed by an apolar Lennard-Jones disk, mimicking the methyl group, and a sphere with two hydrogen bonding arms for the hydroxyl group. The used models are the one proposed by Hribar-Lee and Dill (Acta Chimica Slovenica, 53:257, 2006.) with the overlapping disks and a new model with tangentially fused dimers. The comparison was done between the models, in connection to the MB water, as well as with experimental results and with new simulations done for 3D models of methanol. Both 2D models show similar trends in structuring and thermodynamics. The difference is the most pronounced at lower temperatures, where the smaller model exhibits spontaneous crystallization, while the larger model shows metastable states. The 2D structural organization represents well the clustering tendency observed in 3D models, as well as in experiments. The models qualitatively agree with the bulk methanol thermodynamic properties like density and isothermal compressibility, however, heat capacity at the constant pressure shows trend more similar to the water behavior. This work on the smallest amphiphilic organic solute provides a simple testing ground to study the competition between polar and non-polar effects within the molecule and physical properties.

Liquid part of the phase diagram and percolation line for two-dimensional Mercedes-Benz water.

Monte Carlo simulations and Wertheim's thermodynamic perturbation theory (TPT) are used to predict the phase diagram and percolation curve for the simple two-dimensional Mercedes-Benz (MB) model of water. The MB model of water is quite popular for explaining water properties, but the phase diagram has not been reported till now. In the MB model, water molecules are modeled as two-dimensional Lennard-Jones disks, with three orientation-dependent hydrogen-bonding arms, arranged as in the MB logo. The liquid part of the phase space is explored using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations and two versions of Wertheim's TPT for associative fluids, which have been used before to predict the properties of the simple MB model. We find that the theory reproduces well the physical properties of hot water but is less successful at capturing the more structured hydrogen bonding that occurs in cold water. In addition to reporting the phase diagram and percolation curve of the model, it is shown that the improved TPT predicts the phase diagram rather well, while the standard one predicts a phase transition at lower temperatures. For the percolation line, both versions have problems predicting the correct position of the line at high temperatures.

Construction of Mercedes–Benz Frame in $${\mathbb {R}}^n$$ R n

In this article, Mercedes–Benz (MB) frame having 3 vectors in $${\mathbb {R}}^2$$ is generalized to the space $${\mathbb {R}}^n$$ with $$n+1$$ vectors through a complete concrete method. A necessary and sufficient condition for a normed tight frame to be an MB frame is given and MB frame is explored with the help of diagram vectors. In a new approach, it has been proved that there is no MB frame in $${\mathbb {R}}^n$$ with more than $$n+1$$ vectors and there is always an equiangular tight frame for every $$n \ge 2$$ , using MB frame.

Two-dimensional molecular simulations using rose potentials

Molecular simulations of two-dimensional (2D) systems can provide behavior and insight analogous to three-dimensional systems, often with reduced complexity and computational cost. We describe here an approach for molecular dynamics simulation of single point particles using rose potentials for orientation dependent pairwise interactions. Modifying both the shape and range of a 3-petal rose function, we construct an efficient and dynamical mimic of the 2D Mercedes Benz (MB) water model. This rose water model is structurally similar to MB water and demonstrates the same water-like anomalous properties. When given a mass distribution similar to real water, we observe rose water to diffuse at a faster rate, only with longer lived “hydrogen-bonds”. This is likely due to the use of the significantly expanded acceptable hydrogen-bond length relative to the particle size parameter, resulting in more free volume for translation coupled with relatively strong hydrogen-bonds. We also show how one can extend the rose potential to generate alternate models with varying numbers of interacting arms.

Solid-solid collapse transition in a two dimensional model molecular system

Solid-solid collapse transition in open framework structures is ubiquitous in nature. The real difficulty in understanding detailed microscopic aspects of such transitions in molecular systems arises from the interplay between different energy and length scales involved in molecular systems, often mediated through a solvent. In this work we employ Monte-Carlo simulation to study the collapse transition in a model molecular system interacting via both isotropic as well as anisotropic interactions having different length and energy scales. The model we use is known as Mercedes-Benz (MB), which, for a specific set of parameters, sustains two solid phases: honeycomb and oblique. In order to study the temperature induced collapse transition, we start with a metastable honeycomb solid and induce transition by increasing temperature. High density oblique solid so formed has two characteristic length scales corresponding to isotropic and anisotropic parts of interaction potential. Contrary to the common belief and classical nucleation theory, interestingly, we find linear strip-like nucleating clusters having significantly different order and average coordination number than the bulk stable phase. In the early stage of growth, the cluster grows as a linear strip, followed by branched and ring-like strips. The geometry of growing cluster is a consequence of the delicate balance between two types of interactions, which enables the dominance of stabilizing energy over destabilizing surface energy. The nucleus of stable oblique phase is wetted by intermediate order particles, which minimizes the surface free energy. In the case of pressure induced transition at low temperature the collapsed state is a disordered solid. The disordered solid phase has diverse local quasi-stable structures along with oblique-solid like domains.

Water in the presence of inert Lennard-Jones obstacles

Water confined by the presence of a ‘sea’ of inert obstacles was examined. In the article, freely mobile two-dimensional Mercedes-Benz (MB) water put to a disordered, but fixed, matrix of Lennard-Jones disks was studied by the Monte Carlo computer simulations. For the MB water molecules in the matrix of Lennard-Jones disks, we explored the structures, hydrogen-bond-network formation and thermodynamics as a function of temperature and size and density of matrix particles. We found that the structure of model water is perturbed by the presence of the obstacles. Density of confined water, which was in equilibrium with the bulk water, was smaller than the density of the bulk water and the temperature dependence of the density of absorbed water did not show the density anomaly in the studied temperature range. The behaviour observed as a consequence of confinement is similar to that of increasing temperature, which can for a matrix lead to a process similar to capillary evaporation. At the same occupancy of space, smaller matrix molecules cause higher destruction effect on the absorbed water molecules than the bigger ones. We have also tested the hypothesis that at low matrix densities the obstacles induce an increased ordering and ‘hydrogen bonding’ of the MB model molecules, relative to pure fluid, while at high densities the obstacles reduce MB water structuring, as they prevent the fluid to form good ‘hydrogen-bonding’ networks. However, for the size of matrix molecules similar to that of water, we did not observe this effect.