Perfluoropolyethers: Development of an All-Atom Force Field for Molecular Simulations and Validation with New Experimental Vapor Pressures and Liquid Densities

Black, JE; Silva, GMC; Klein, C; Iacovella, CR; Morgado, P; Martins, LFG; Filipe, EJM; Mccabe, C

HERO ID

3860592

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year

2017

Language

English

PMID

28557461

HERO ID 3860592
In Press No
Year 2017
Title Perfluoropolyethers: Development of an All-Atom Force Field for Molecular Simulations and Validation with New Experimental Vapor Pressures and Liquid Densities
Authors Black, JE; Silva, GMC; Klein, C; Iacovella, CR; Morgado, P; Martins, LFG; Filipe, EJM; Mccabe, C
Journal Journal of Physical Chemistry B
Volume 121
Issue 27
Page Numbers 6588-6600
Abstract A force field for perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs) based on the general optimized potentials for liquid simulations all-atom (OPLS-AA) force field has been derived in conjunction with experiments and ab initio quantum mechanical calculations. Vapor pressures and densities of two liquid PFPEs, perfluorodiglyme (CF3-O-(CF2-CF2-O)2-CF3) and perfluorotriglyme (CF3-O-(CF2-CF2-O)3-CF3), have been measured experimentally to validate the force field and increase our understanding of the physical properties of PFPEs. Force field parameters build upon those for related molecules (e.g., ethers and perfluoroalkanes) in the OPLS-AA force field, with new parameters introduced for interactions specific to PFPEs. Molecular dynamics simulations using the new force field demonstrate excellent agreement with ab initio calculations at the RHF/6-31G* level for gas-phase torsional energies (<0.5 kcal mol(-1) error) and molecular structures for several PFPEs, and also accurately reproduce experimentally determined densities (<0.02 g cm(-3) error) and enthalpies of vaporization derived from experimental vapor pressures (<0.3 kcal mol(-1)). Additional comparisons between experiment and simulation show that polyethers demonstrate a significant decrease in enthalpy of vaporization upon fluorination unlike related molecules (e.g., alkanes and alcohols). Simulation suggests this phenomenon is a result of reduced cohesion in liquid PFPEs due to a reduction in localized associations between backbone oxygen atoms and neighboring molecules.
Doi 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b00891
Pmid 28557461
Wosid WOS:000405764000015
Is Certified Translation No
Dupe Override No
Is Public Yes
Language Text English