Molecular Reactive Force Field Research Articles

The Role of Dimer Formation in the Nucleation of Superlattice Transformations and Its Impact on Disorder.

The formation of defect-free two-dimensional nanocrystal (NC) superstructures remains a challenge as persistent defects hinder charge delocalization and related device performance. Understanding defect formation is an important step toward developing strategies to mitigate their formation. However, specific mechanisms of defect formation are difficult to determine, as superlattice phase transformations that occur during fabrication are quite complex and there are a variety of factors influencing the disorder in the final structure. Here, we use Molecular Dynamics (MD) and electron microscopy in concert to investigate the nucleation of the epitaxial attachment of lead chalcogenide (PbX, where X = S, Se) NC assemblies. We use an updated implementation of an existing reactive force field in an MD framework to investigate how initial orientational (mis)alignment of the constituent building blocks impacts the final structure of the epitaxially connected superlattice. This Simple Molecular Reactive Force Field (SMRFF) captures both short-range covalent forces and long-range electrostatic forces and allows us to follow orientational and translational changes of NCs during superlattice transformation. Our simulations reveal how robust the oriented attachment is with regard to the initial configuration of the NCs, measuring its sensitivity to both in-plane and out-of-plane misorientation. We show that oriented attachment nucleates through the initial formation of dimers, which corroborate experimentally observed structures. We present high-resolution structural analysis of dimers at early stages of the superlattice transformation and rationalize their contribution to the formation of defects in the final superlattice. Collectively, the simulations and experiments presented in this paper provide insights into the nucleation of NC oriented attachment, the impact of the initial configuration of NCs on the structural fidelity of the final epitaxially connected superlattice, and the propensity to form commonly observed defects, such as missing bridges and atomic misalignment in the superlattice due to the formation of dimers. We present potential strategies to mitigate the formation of superlattice defects.

Molecular Reactive Force-Field Simulations on the Carbon Nanocavities from Methane Pyrolysis

Hydrocarbon pyrolysis is the main way to achieve carbonaceous materials, while most related conversion mechanisms still remain unclear. This work images pyrolysis of methane at various temperatures and densities by molecular reactive force field (ReaxFF) simulations. First, it is interesting to find that the methane decay is dominated by intermolecular collision displacement instead of direct molecular decomposition. Second, a conversion of 1200 methane molecules into a regular carbon nanocavity (CNC) is realized at 3500 K temperature and 0.1 g/cm3 density after a simulation lasting for 10 ns, with 923 carbon atoms and a diameter of 3.4 nm. Such CNC is a perfect precursor of carbon nanotubes, which is confirmed by a sequent simulation on a larger system of 2400 methane molecules and in agreement with several experimental observations. It is found that the CNC growth obeys a polyyne model, without any single aromatic ring formed in the growth. Furthermore, the complex CNC growth appears in some successive ...

Sequential Molecular Dynamics Simulations: A Strategy for Complex Chemical Reactions and a Case Study on the Graphitization of Cooked 1,3,5-Triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene

The fundamental core of chemistry is to create new substances, and numerous complex reactions may be involved in chemical conversions. Nevertheless, clarifying the mechanisms of these complex reactions remains challenging, thereby causing insufficiencies in the fundamentals to guide new substance creation. This work proposes and emphasizes a strategy of sequential molecular dynamics simulations (SMDSs) toward complex chemical reactions. The strategy is successfully demonstrated by clarifying a complex graphitization process of 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB), whose mechanism has not been imaged by a single simulation alone. We conducted SMDSs with a molecular reactive force field, ReaxFF, to resemble the cook-off of TATB, i.e., a sequence of heating, expansion, and cooling acting on TATB. Graphitization is found to sequentially undergo TATB molecular decay, clustering, cluster enlargement to C sheets (sheeting), and layered stacking of C sheets, along with phase separation. Moreover, the struc...

Cluster Evolution at Early Stages of 1,3,5-Triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene under Various Heating Conditions: A Molecular Reactive Force Field Study.

We carried out reactive molecular dynamics simulations by ReaxFF to study the initial events of an insensitive high explosive 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) against various thermal stimuli including constant-temperature heating, programmed heating, and adiabatic heating to simulate TATB suffering from accidental heating in reality. Cluster evolution at the early stage of the thermal decomposition of condensed TATB was the main focus as cluster formation primarily occurs when TATB is heated. The results show that cluster formation is the balance of the competition of intermolecular collision and molecular decomposition of TATB, that is, an appropriate temperature and certain duration are required for cluster formation and preservation. The temperature in the range of 2000-3000 K was found to be optimum for fast formation and a period of preservation. Besides, the intra- and intermolecular H transfers are always favorable, whereas the C-NO2 partition was favorable at high temperature. The simulation results are helpful to deepen the insight into the thermal properties of condensed TATB.

Simple Molecular Reactive Force Field for Metal-Organic Synthesis.

For colloidal quantum dots to transition from research laboratories to deployment as optical and electronic products, there will be a need to scale-up their production to large-scale manufacturing processes. This demand increases the need to understand their formation via a molecular representation of the nucleation of lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dot systems passivated by lead oleate complexes. We demonstrate the effectiveness of a new type of reactive potential, custom-made for this system, that is drawn from simple Morse, Lennard-Jones, and Coulombic components, which can reproduce reactions across a broad range of PbS quantum dot sizes with good accuracy. We validate the capability of this model to capture reactive systems by comparison to ab initio calculations for a reaction between two dots.

Imaging the C black formation by acetylene pyrolysis with molecular reactive force field simulations.

C black is a class of substantial materials with a long history of applications. However, apart from some descriptions of primary reactions, subsequent processes leading up to the final formation mechanism remain unclear. This mechanism is also crucial for understanding the formation of other carbonaceous materials. In this work, we visualize C black formation by acetylene pyrolysis using molecular dynamics simulations with a molecular reactive force field named ReaxFF. We find that the formation undergoes four stages: (1) chain elongation by H abstraction and polymerization of small C species, (2) chain branching, (3) cyclization and ring densification, and (4) condensed ring folding. The simulated C black particle possesses a structure of folded graphite layers, which is in good accordance with experimental observations. Cyclization and condensation are derived from fusion between neighboring chains, significantly varying from common experimental observations at relatively low temperatures that abide by the mechanism of H abstraction and C2H2 addition. Moreover, polyyne and polyene are usually found during acetylene pyrolysis, suggesting that the pyrolysis of acetylene and other hydrocarbons may be a feasible method of obtaining carbyne, a novel carbonaceous material with a high value.

Cluster evolution during the early stages of heating explosives and its relationship to sensitivity: a comparative study of TATB, β-HMX and PETN by molecular reactive force field simulations.

Clustering is experimentally and theoretically verified during the complicated processes involved in heating high explosives, and has been thought to influence their detonation properties. However, a detailed description of the clustering that occurs has not been fully elucidated. We used molecular dynamic simulations with an improved reactive force field, ReaxFF_lg, to carry out a comparative study of cluster evolution during the early stages of heating for three representative explosives: 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB), β-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). These representatives vary greatly in their oxygen balance (OB), molecular structure, stability and experimental sensitivity. We found that when heated, TATB, HMX and PETN differ in the size, amount, proportion and lifetime of their clusters. We also found that the clustering tendency of explosives decreases as their OB becomes less negative. We propose that the relationship between OB and clustering can be attributed to the role of clustering in detonation. That is, clusters can form more readily in a high explosive with a more negative OB, which retard its energy release, secondary decomposition, further decomposition to final small molecule products and widen its detonation reaction zone. Moreover, we found that the carbon content of the clusters increases during clustering, in accordance with the observed soot, which is mainly composed of carbon as the final product of detonation or deflagration.

Self-enhanced catalytic activities of functionalized graphene sheets in the combustion of nitromethane: molecular dynamic simulations by molecular reactive force field.

Functionalized graphene sheet (FGS) is a promising additive that enhances fuel/propellant combustion, and the determination of its mechanism has attracted much interest. In the present study, a series of molecular dynamic simulations based on a reactive force field (ReaxFF) are performed to explore the catalytic activity (CA) of FGS in the thermal decay of nitromethane (NM, CH3NO2). FGSs and pristine graphene sheets (GSs) are oxidized in hot NM liquid to increase their functionalities and subsequently show self-enhanced CAs during the decay. The CAs result from the interatomic exchanges between the functional groups on the sheets and the NM liquid, i.e., mainly between H and O atoms. CA is dependent on the density of NM, functionalities of sheets, and temperature. The GSs and FGSs that originally exhibit different functionalities tend to possess similar functionalities and consequently similar CAs as temperature increases. Other carbon materials and their oxides can accelerate combustion of other fuels/propellants similar to NM, provided that they can be dispersed and their key reaction steps in combustion are similar to NM.

Twin Induced Sensitivity Enhancement of HMX versus Shock: A Molecular Reactive Force Field Simulation

We report the early events of a twinned HMX crystal, as well as a perfect one for a comparison purpose, shocked with various velocities in the range of 6–10 km/s for 50 ps by molecular dynamic simulations using the ReaxFF reactive force field and the multiscale shock technique. The simulations show that the twin enhances the shock sensitivity remarkably, in agreement with our recent experimental observation. That is, it exhibits a lower shock initiation stress, higher decomposition velocities, more temperature, and stress increases under the same shock conditions, relative to the perfect crystal. In addition, we find the twinning plane is hottest and the temperature decreases in terms of the distance apart from it after shock loaded earlier, suggesting possible hot spots preferred there.