PNNL

Abstract

We have studied the effect of water in the supercritical phase of CO2 as a function of water self-association using DFT-based molecular dynamics simulations. The dependence of the intermolecular and intramolecular structure and dynamic properties upon water concentration in the supercritical CO2/H2O phase at a density of 0.81g/cm3 and temperature of 318.15K is investigated in detail and compared to previous studies of the pure sc-CO2 system and Monte-Carlo simulations of water in sc-CO2 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 CO2 molecules, though there is strong 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 CO2 and water molecules. For higher water concentrations, water clustering is observed, consistent with the expected phase separation under these conditions of temperature and pressure. Finally, the water-water and water-CO2 interactions are discussed and analyzed in terms of the water self-association and thermodynamic quantities derived from the corresponding radial distribution functions. This work was supported by the US Department of Energy Basic Energy Sciences' Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is operated by Battelle for the US Department of Energy.