Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate the hydration energy and ion-exchange properties of a synthetic zeolite, zeolite N with composition |K10(H2O)8Cl2|[Al12Si12O40]. The exchange of K+ ions with univalent ions such as NH4+, Na+, Rb+, and Cs+ is investigated under a range of simulation conditions using a three-dimensional membrane in an electrolyte box containing explicit water molecules. Hydration energy calculations indicate that zeolite N prefers eight water molecules per cage, which is consistent with X-ray and neutron diffraction determination of the structure. Ion density profiles and calculated self-diffusion coefficients show that univalent ion exchange by zeolite N is selective toward NH4+ in preference to other ions. The methodology used here to simulate the uptake of ions from an electrolyte within the zeolite N membrane produces results that are consistent with experimental data and implements a low computational overhead.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 10801-10810 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | The Journal of Physical Chemistry C: Energy Conversion and Storage, Optical and Electronic Devices, Interfaces, Nanomaterials, and Hard Matter |
Volume | 122 |
Issue number | 20 |
Early online date | 27 Apr 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 24 May 2018 |