Papers

Peer-reviewed
Feb, 2016

Mechanism of Slow Crystal Growth of Tetrahydrofuran Clathrate Hydrate

JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
  • Takuma Yagasaki
  • ,
  • Masakazu Matsumoto
  • ,
  • Hideki Tanaka

Volume
120
Number
6
First page
3305
Last page
3313
Language
English
Publishing type
Research paper (scientific journal)
DOI
10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b10293
Publisher
AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Tetrahydrofuran (THF) clathrate hydrate has been frequently used in experimental studies instead of gas hydrates because it forms at a temperature higher than the ice point under ambient pressure. In this paper, we compare the crystal growth rates of THF hydrate and ice using molecular dynamics simulations. It is demonstrated that the crystal growth of THF hydrate is much slower than that of ice. The growth rates of THF hydrate significantly deviate from a standard kinetic model known as the Wilson-Frenkel model, whereas it reproduces, the temperature dependence of the growth rate of ice. The slow crystal growth and the deviation from the Wilson-Frenkel model are attributed to the trapping of THF molecules in open small cages at the hydrate surface. We calculate the free energy profile of a THF molecule transferring from the bulk solution phase to the hydrate surface using the umbrella sampling technique. It is shown that a THF molecule trapped in an open small cage needs to cross one or two free energy barriers to escape from the surface region. We also refer to the similarity between the mechanism of slow growth of THF hydrate and the effect of kinetic hydrate inhibitors.

Link information
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b10293
Web of Science
https://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcAuth=JSTA_CEL&SrcApp=J_Gate_JST&DestLinkType=FullRecord&KeyUT=WOS:000370678700024&DestApp=WOS_CPL
URL
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84959010229&partnerID=MN8TOARS
URL
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6799-6813
ID information
  • DOI : 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b10293
  • ISSN : 1932-7447
  • ORCID - Put Code : 25798637
  • SCOPUS ID : 84959010229
  • Web of Science ID : WOS:000370678700024

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