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Interaction of Nitrite Ions with Hydrated Portlandite Surfaces: Atomistic Computer Simulation Study
Materials. 2023. Vol. 16. No. 14. Article 5026.
The nitrite admixtures in cement and concrete are used as corrosion inhibitors for steel reinforcement and also as anti-freezing agents. The characterization of the protective properties should account for the decrease in the concentration of free NO2− ions in the pores of cement concretes due to their adsorption. Here we applied the classical molecular dynamics computer simulation approach to quantitatively study the molecular scale mechanisms of nitrite adsorption from NaNO2 aqueous solution on a portlandite surface. We used a new parameterization to model the hydrated NO2− ions in combination with the recently upgraded ClayFF force field (ClayFF-MOH) for the structure of portlandite. The new NO2− parameterization makes it possible to reproduce the properties of hydrated NO2− ions in good agreement with experimental data. In addition, the ClayFF-MOH model improves the description of the portlandite structure by explicitly taking into account the bending of Ca-O-H angles in the crystal and on its surface. The simulations showed that despite the formation of a well-structured water layer on the portlandite (001) crystal surface, NO2− ions can be strongly adsorbed. The nitrite adsorption is primarily due to the formation of hydrogen bonds between the structural hydroxyls on the portlandite surface and both the nitrogen and oxygen atoms of the NO2− ions. Due to that, the ions do not form surface adsorption complexes with a single well-defined structure but can assume various local coordinations. However, in all cases, the adsorbed ions did not show significant surface diffusional mobility. Moreover, we demonstrated that the nitrite ions can be adsorbed both near the previously-adsorbed hydrated Na+ ions as surface ion pairs, but also separately from the cations.
Publication based on the results of:
Zirnik G., Ostovari Moghaddam A., Zhukov S. et al., Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics 2026 Vol. 37 Article 738
In regards to the advances in InGaZnO for flexible transistors applications, herein for the first time we measure the broadband radio-frequency range (10 Hz to 1 MHz) dielectric permittivity ε′ and electrical conductivity σ of InGaZnO4 nanoparticle layers at different temperatures ranging from 10 to 300 K. The InGaZnO4 nanoparticles prepared by metal–nitrate–glycol gel decomposition method exhibited ...
Added: June 6, 2026
Flamarion M. V., Pelinovsky E., Nonlinear Dynamics 2026 Vol. 114 Article 784
In this article, we investigate wave packet and solitary wave dynamics in the Whitham–Ostrovsky (WO) equation. By means of a multiple-scales expansion, we formally derive a nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation governing the envelope evolution.The corresponding modulational stability diagram is then obtained using the Lighthill criterion. We show that sufficiently large values of the low-frequency dispersive term render ...
Added: June 5, 2026
Hazarika A. P., Das A., Das S. K. et al., Physica B: Condensed Matter 2026 Vol. 738 Article 418803
Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus, LG-SiO2), horsetail (Equisetum debile, SG-SiO2), and cassava leaves (Manihot esculenta, CL-SiO2) were used to green-synthesize silica (SiO2) nanoparticles (NPs). While LG-SiO2 and SG-SiO2 had strong (101) peaks and a large 22° amorphous peak, XRD of CL-SiO2 verified crystallinity. LG-SiO2 (agglomerated porous), SG-SiO2 (rectangular-cube agglomerates), and CL-SiO2 (flake agglomerates) had different morphologies. The TEM image of LG-SiO2 revealed agglomerated ...
Added: June 4, 2026
Novikov A., New Journal of Chemistry 2026 Vol. - No. - Article 0
Rational design of gold-based nanocarriers for neurotherapeutics requires atomic-scale understanding of drug-material interactions. Density functional theory calculations were performed to investigate levodopa (L-DOPA) adsorption on small gold clusters (Au2–Au4) with cationic, neutral, and anionic charges, with additional validation on a larger Au10 cluster using multiple low-energy isomers. Binding free energies (ΔGbind), charge transfer, and electronic descriptors ...
Added: June 3, 2026
Kornbleuth M., Opher M., Drake J. F. et al., Astrophysical Journal 2026 Vol. 1004 No. 1 Article 1
The shape of the heliosphere, regarded as comet-like since the 1960s, has recently been the subject of intense debate in the last decade. There is disagreement as to whether the heliospheric tail extends to ∼10,000 au in a comet-like shape or if it is short (∼400 au) with a split. Energetic neutral atom (ENA) maps from ...
Added: June 3, 2026
Kartsev A., Nishant T., Saswata G. et al., Journal of Materials Chemistry C 2026 Article -
Overheating remains a critical limitation in high-performance electronic and computing systems,
necessitating the development of efficient thermal management fluids. In this work, a magnetically
responsive hybrid ferrofluid was developed by incorporating two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride
(2D-hBN) nanosheets into a Mn–Zn–ferrite-based ferrofluid. The hybrid system retains magnetic
responsiveness while leveraging the high in-plane thermal conductivity and chemical stability of 2D-hBN
nanosheets. ...
Added: June 2, 2026
Fortuna A. S., A.I. Kartsev, Gorshenkov M. V. et al., Journal of Alloys and Compounds 2026 Vol. 1070 Article 188711
The τ-phase in Mn-Al-Ga alloys is a promising candidate for rare-earth-free permanent magnets. This study re-veals that the τ(γ₂)-phase in rapidly quenched Mn55Al36Ga9 ribbons contains a high density of dislocations, which
form antiphase boundaries (APBs). Using transmission electron microscopy and density functional theory, we
demonstrate that Mn atoms at these APBs couple antiferromagnetically. This antiferromagnetic interaction is
identified ...
Added: June 2, 2026
Das A., Saikia J., Maji N. et al., ChemNanoMat 2026 Vol. 12 No. 5 Article e202500733
Developing efficient photoactive materials from bio-derived resources is vital yet challenging for achieving effective water splitting performance. In this work, nano carbon dots (CDs) of zero-dimensional (0D) were synthesized from papaya peel through a simple and eco-friendly process and subsequently anchored onto the two-dimensional (2D) layered structure of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4, GCN) at various ...
Added: June 2, 2026
Wary R. R., Mahato B., Sharma N. et al., The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 2026 Vol. 17 No. 17 P. 5099–5107
Development of heterojunction materials is an efficient approach for enhancing photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical processes. We develop a ZnO/CuO heterojunction via Cu doping into a ZnO matrix. Structural characterization confirmed that Cu was effectively incorporated into ZnO without any structural changes. The improved optical properties and reduced charge carrier recombination of the doped samples were confirmed ...
Added: June 2, 2026
Dikhtievskaya K., Argunov E., Карцев А. И. et al., The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 2026 Vol. 17 No. 17 P. 4999–5004
In this study we revealed the effect of scandium doping on the electronic and superconducting properties of the MgB2 compound. Calculations demonstrate that Sc substitutes for Mg atoms, acting as an electron donor. Mg substitution diminishes the density of states in the σ-band and attenuates the electron–phonon coupling, thereby elucidating the reduction in critical temperature. Simultaneously, ...
Added: June 2, 2026
Duran E. ., Pulgar A., Izquierdo R. et al., Physica Status Solidi (A) Applications and Materials 2026 Vol. 223 No. 7 Article e202500942
Ceramic superconductors exhibit remarkable properties, including zero electrical resistance and potent magnetic behavior, operating at temperatures as high as the boiling points of liquid nitrogen (77 K) and liquid hydrogen (20 K). These characteristics position them as key enablers for sustainable technologies spanning electric propulsion, lossless energy transmission, advanced medical imaging, and quantum computation. This review presents ...
Added: June 1, 2026
Ostovari Moghaddam A., Mehrabi-Kalajahi S., Hossein Vasigh S. A. et al., The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 2026 Vol. 17 No. 13 P. 3978–3985
Water electrolysis is a key technology for sustainable energy conversion and hydrogen generation. Recently, high-entropy oxides (HEOs) have emerged as promising materials because they allow tuning of structural, electronic, and catalytic properties in multifunctional systems. Here, we report the synthesis of a multicomponent La(FeCoCuTiNiMnMgSnZn)O3 perovskite, and its hybridization with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to form a ...
Added: June 1, 2026
Borisov V., Danilov V., Электросвязь 2025 № 12 С. 73–84
Представлены результаты математического моделирования процесса полевой эмиссии из катода малых размеров – одного из основных физических процессов, обеспечивающих работы многих электронных устройств, в частности FED-дисплеев (устройства, работающие на принципе полевой эмиссии), кантилеверов и т.д. Дается краткий обзор текущих результатов в области исследования, обосновывается актуальность задачи, приводятся примеры наиболее вероятного использования результатов решения задачи. Обсуждаются физические ...
Added: May 29, 2026
Jiang Q., Fang J., Chen J. et al., Science China Information Sciences 2026 Vol. 69 No. 6 Article 162402
Resonators based on nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) using two-dimensional (2D) materials with high-quality factors and excellent electrical control are critical for tunable coherent phonon dynamics, resonant sensors and wireless communications. However, their performance is fundamentally limited by the lack of a unified framework governing energy dissipation mechanisms and their electrical tunability. Here, we synergistically modulate both ...
Added: May 28, 2026
Nikitiuk B., Nikolay Kondratyuk, Pisarev V., Journal of Molecular Liquids 2025 Vol. 440 Article 128894
Understanding how liquids transition into glassy states under varying thermodynamic conditions remains a fundamental challenge in condensed matter physics. While temperature-driven vitrification has been extensively studied, the effects of high pressure on glass formation are comparatively underexplored -- particularly in molecular liquids. In this work, we employ molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the behaviour of ...
Added: November 12, 2025
Lenev D. Y., Zakharov S. A., V. V. Pisarev, Russian Journal of Physical Chemistry A 2024 Vol. 98 No. 12 P. 2816–2822
Molecular dynamics is used to calculate the vapor–liquid equilibrium and liquid–vapor surface
tension for a methane–ethane system. Good agreement of the parachor value for ethane between the molecular
model and experimental data is shown for the 203–253 K range of temperatures and pressures up to
60 atm. The dependence of the surface tension of the mixture on pressure ...
Added: November 15, 2024
Полянский А. А., Efremov R., Биологические мембраны 2024 Т. 41 № 4 С. 403–421
The paper overviews the results of computational studies of the molecular mechanisms underlying
the adaptation of model cell membranes taking place during their interaction with proteins and peptides. We
discuss changes in the structural and dynamic parameters of the water–lipid environment, the hydrophobic/
hydrophilic organization of the lipid bilayer surface (the so-called “mosaicity”), etc. Taken together,
these effects are ...
Added: September 19, 2024
Pavlova T., Shevlyuga V. M., Journal of Chemical Physics 2024 Vol. 160 No. 5 Article 054701
For the most precise incorporation of single impurities in silicon, which is utilized to create quantum devices, a monolayer of adatoms on the Si(100) surface and a dopant-containing molecule are used. Here we studied the interaction of a phosphorus tribromide with a chlorine monolayer with mono- and bivacancies in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) at ...
Added: July 2, 2024
T. V. Pavlova, V. M. Shevlyuga, Journal of Chemical Physics 2023 Vol. 159 No. 21 Article 214701
The interaction of the PBr3 molecule with Si dangling bonds (DBs) on a chlorinated Si(100) surface was studied. The DBs were charged in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and then exposed to PBr3 directly in the STM chamber. Uncharged DBs rarely react with molecules. On the contrary, almost all positively charged DBs were filled with molecule fragments. ...
Added: January 29, 2024
Privalov A., Vitaly V. Sinitsyn, Vogel M., The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 2023 Vol. 14 No. 30 P. 9335–9340
We use 1H and 17O NMR static field gradient diffusometry to measure self-diffusion coefficients of protons (DH) and oxygens (DO) in Nafion 212 with various hydration levels (λ = 4–18). For all samples and both nuclei, we obtain activation energies (Ea) of ≈0.19 eV. Analyzing the hydration-level dependence of DH and DO, we find DO/DH ≈ 1 at λ ≈ 18, resembling ...
Added: October 13, 2023
Nikita A. Kosarim, Armeev G., Alexey K. Shaytan et al., Supercomputing Frontiers and Innovations 2022 Vol. 9 No. 2 P. 56–67
The nucleosome is the basic unit of eukaryotic DNA compaction. It consists of about 147 base pairs wrapped around an octamer of histone proteins. Nucleosomal dynamics provides the availability of packaged DNA for various factors that carry out the vital processes associated with chromatin. It is not completely known how the structure and dynamics of ...
Added: September 4, 2023
Darya Gurina, Ekaterina Odintsova, Krestyaninov M. A. et al., Journal of Molecular Liquids 2023 Vol. 390 No. A Article 122961
The paper presents a study of the behavior of room-temperature ionic liquids with different alkyl chain lengths and anion types in slit negatively charged carbon nanopores of various widths (1÷15 nm) using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. The structure of the confined ionic liquids is investigated using number, mass, and charge density profiles and radial distribution ...
Added: August 31, 2023
Tararushkin E., Smirnov G., Kalinichev A. G., Minerals 2023 Vol. 13 No. 8 Article 1018
The 10-Å phase is an important member of the family of dense hydrous magnesium silicates (DHMSs) that play a major role in the water budget in the Earth’s upper mantle. Its nominal composition is usually written as Mg3Si4O10(OH)2·xH2O, and its structure is often described as layers of talc with some amount of water present in ...
Added: August 1, 2023
Polyansky A., Roman G. Efremov, Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal 2023 Vol. 21 P. 2837–2844
Constitutive activation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) via different mutations has a strong impact on the development of severe human disorders, including cancer. Here we propose a putative activation scenario of RTKs, whereby transmembrane (TM) mutations can also promote higher-order oligomerization of the receptors that leads to the subsequent ligand-free activation. We illustrate this scenario ...
Added: May 19, 2023