Molecular dynamics simulation of NH+ 4-smectite interlayer hydration: Influence of layer charge density and location

At monolayer hydration state, the spatial distribution of H2O and Na+ in the interlayer of Na-montmorillonite (Na-MT) with different crystal chemistry properties was investigated by the molecular dynamics simulation method. The simulation results show that when layer charge density increases, H2O will move and form hydrogen bonds with O in tetrahedral surfaces (Ot) at a distance of 1.676 ± 0.043 Å. The impact of isomorphic substitution on the relative concentration of H2O depends largely on the layer charge density of Na-MT, when layer charge density is high, H2O move obviously to both sides of Na-MT sheets with the increase of octahedral substitution ratio. Nevertheless, Na+ coordinate with Ot at a distance of 2.38 Å, and the effect of isomorphic substitution ratio on the diffusion of Na+ is opposite to that of H2O. The mobility of both H2O and Na+ decreases with the increase of layer charge density or tetrahedral substitution ratio. The radial distribution function of Na-Ow (O in H2O) shows that the coordination strength between Na+ and Ow decreases with the increase of layer charge density or tetrahedral substitution ratio, and Na+ are hydrated by four H2O at a Van der Waals radius of 2.386 ± 0.004 Å. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for the efficient application of Na-MT at the molecular and atomic levels.

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Effect of Layer Charge Characteristics on the Distribution Characteristics of H2O and Ca2+ in Ca-Montmorillonites Interlayer Space: Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma12142318 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (14) ◽

pp. 2318 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jun Qiu ◽

Guoqing Li ◽

Dongliang Liu ◽

Shan Jiang ◽

Guifang Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Molecular Dynamics ◽

Molecular Dynamics Simulation ◽

Charge Density ◽

Interlayer Space ◽

Simulation Method ◽

Dynamics Simulation ◽

Layer Charge ◽

Water Molecules ◽

Isomorphic Substitution ◽

Distribution Characteristics

The charge characteristics of montmorillonite have significant effects on its hydration and application performances. In this study, a molecular dynamics simulation method was used to study the influence of the charge position and charge density of montmorillonite on the distribution of H2O and Ca2+ in layers. The results showed that when the layer charge is mainly derived from the substitution among ions in the tetrahedron, a large number of Hw and Ot are combined into a hydrogen bond in the interlayer, thus the water molecules are more compactly arranged and the diffusion of water molecules among the layers is reduced. In addition, the Ca2+ are diffused to the sides by a concentrated distribution in the central axis of the layer. As the charge density of the montmorillonite increases, the polarity of the Si–O surface increases, which lesds to the deterioration of the diffusibility of the water molecules and the structure of the water molecules in the interlayers is more stable. The increase in the layer charge density lesds to the expansion of the isomorphic substitution range of the crystal structure, which results in a more dispersed distribution of Ca2+ among the layers under the action of electrostatic attraction between the substituted negative sites and the Ca2+.

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