Related papers: Dynamic clay microstructures emerge via ion comple…
Ion specificity and related Hofmeister effects, ubiquitous in aqueous systems, can have spectacular consequences in hydrated clays, where ion-specific nanoscale surface forces can determine large scale cohesive, swelling and shrinkage…
Microscopy observations show that suspensions of synthetic and natural nano-layered smectite clay particles submitted to a strong external electric field undergo a fast and extended structuring. This structuring results from the interaction…
We report here how the hydration of complex surfaces can be efficiently studied thanks to recent advances in classical molecular density functional theory. This is illustrated on the example of the pyrophylite clay. After presenting the…
We predict the structural interaction of crystalline solid-melt interfaces using amplitude equations which are derived from classical density functional theory or phase-field-crystal modeling. The solid ordering decays exponentially on the…
Solvation of ions is ubiquitous on our planet. Solvated ions have a profound effect on the behavior of ionic solutions, which is crucial in nature and technology. Experimentally, ions have been classified into "structure makers" or…
Clay-rich soils and sediments are key components of near-surface systems, influencing water retention, ion exchange, and structural stability. Their complex dielectric behavior under moist conditions arises from electrostatic interactions…
Dynamic fluctuations in hydrogen-bond network of water occur from femto- to nano-second timescale and provides insights into structural/dynamical aspects of water at ion-water interfaces. Employing terahertz spectroscopy assisted with…
The aggregation of clay particles in aqueous solution is a ubiquitous everyday process of broad environmental and technological importance. However, it is poorly understood at the all-important atomistic level since it depends on a complex…
Clays and micas are receiving attention as materials that, in their atomically thin form, could allow for novel proton conductive, ion selective, osmotic power generation, or solvent filtration membranes. The interest arises from the…
Electrostatic interactions fundamentally govern the structure and transport of electrolytes. In concentrated electrolytes, however, electrostatic and steric correlations, together with ion-solvent coupling, give rise to complex behavior,…
When a less viscous Newtonian fluid displaces an aging aqueous clay suspension in a confined space, a rich array of interfacial patterns emerges due to a predominantly viscous instability. In the present work, we controlled the mechanical…
To comprehend the complexities of the ice-water interface, we perform a study that attempts to correlate the altered dynamics of water to its perturbed structure at, and due to, the interface. The deviation from bulk values of structural…
The nucleation of gas hydrates is of great interest in flow assurance, global energy demand, and carbon capture and storage. A complex molecular understanding is critical to control hydrate nucleation and growth in the context of potential…
In this work we give the analysis of the low frequency dielectric response of selected kaolinitic clays at different water content ranging from dry, over plastic to liquid limit. For all samples investigated, depending on the moisture…
Montmorillonite, a ubiquitous clay mineral, plays a vital role in geochemical and environmental processes due to its chemically complex edge surfaces. However, the molecular-scale acid-base reactivity of these interfaces remains poorly…
Within a general framework we study the effective, deformation-induced interaction between two colloids trapped at a fluid interface. As an application, we consider the interface deformation owing to the electrostatic field of charged…
Using molecular dynamics simulations and methods of importance sampling, we study the thermodynamics and dynamics of sodium chloride in the aqueous premelting layer formed spontaneously at the interface between ice and its vapor. We uncover…
Ion hydration and interfacial water play crucial roles in numerous phenomena ranging from biological to industrial systems. Although biologically relevant (and mostly smaller) ions have been studied extensively in this context, very little…
We study, by means of computer simulations, the crystal-melt interface of three different systems: hard-spheres, Lennard Jones and the TIP4P/2005 water model. In particular, we focus on the dynamics of surface waves. We observe that the…
Smectite clay minerals have an outsize impact on the response of clay-rich media to common stimuli, such as water imbibition and ion exchange, motivating extensive effort to understand microscopic behaviors resulting from these processes…