There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

Three parallel algorithms for classical molecular dynamics are presented. The first assigns each processor a fixed subset of atoms; the second assigns each a fixed subset of inter-atomic forces to compute; the third assigns each a fixed spatial region. The algorithms are suitable for molecular dynamics models which can be difficult to parallelize efficiently—those with short-range forces where the neighbors of each atom change rapidly. They can be implemented on any distributed-memory parallel machine which allows for message-passing of data between independently executing processors. The algorithms are tested on a standard Lennard-Jones benchmark problem for system sizes ranging from 500 to 100,000,000 atoms on several parallel supercomputers--the nCUBE 2, Intel iPSC/860 and Paragon, and Cray T3D. Comparing the results to the fastest reported vectorized Cray Y-MP and C90 algorithm shows that the current generation of parallel machines is competitive with conventional vector supercomputers even for small problems. For large problems, the spatial algorithm achieves parallel efficiencies of 90% and a 1840-node Intel Paragon performs up to 165 faster than a single Cray C9O processor. Trade-offs between the three algorithms and guidelines for adapting them to more complex molecular dynamics simulations are also discussed.

Fast parallel algorithms for short-range molecular dynamics

https://www.chem.ccu.edu.tw/~joyce/referance/gump/IL/Chem.%20Rev.%201999,%2099,%202071.pdf

Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids. Solvents for Synthesis and Catalysis

Ionic liquids are salts that are liquid at low temperature (<100 degrees C) which represent a new class of solvents with nonmolecular, ionic character. Even though the first representative has been known since 1914, ionic liquids have only been investigated as solvents for transition metal catalysis in the past ten years. Publications to date show that replacing an organic solvent by an ionic liquid can lead to remarkable improvements in well-known processes. Ionic liquids form biphasic systems with many organic product mixtures. This gives rise to the possibility of a multiphase reaction procedure with easy isolation and recovery of homogeneous catalysts. In addition, ionic liquids have practically no vapor pressure which facilitates product separation by distillation. There are also indications that switching from a normal organic solvent to an ionic liquid can lead to novel and unusual chemical reactivity. This opens up a wide field for future investigations into this new class of solvents in catalytic applications.

Ionic Liquids-New "Solutions" for Transition Metal Catalysis.

Energy storage using batteries offers a solution to the intermittent nature of energy production from renewable sources; however, such technology must be sustainable. This Review discusses battery development from a sustainability perspective, considering the energy and environmental costs of state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries and the design of new systems beyond Li-ion. Images: batteries, car, globe: © iStock/Thinkstock.

Towards greener and more sustainable batteries for electrical energy storage

Preface A Note From The Editors THE EARLY YEARS OF IONIC LIQUIDS SYNTHESIS AND PURIFICATION Synthesis Quality Aspects and other Questions Related to Commercial Ionic Liquid Production Synthesis of Task-specific Ionic Liquids PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES Melting Points Viscosity and Density Solubility and Solvation in Ionic Liquids Gas Solubilities Polarity Electrochemistry STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS Order in the Liquid State and Structure Computational Modelling of Ionic Liquids Translational Diffusion Molecular Reorientational Dynamics ORGANIC SYNTHESIS Ionic Liquids in Organic Synthesis: Effects on Rate and Selectivity Stoicheiometric Organic Reactions and Acid-catalysed Reactions in Ionic Liquids Transition Metal Catalysis in Ionic Liquids Ionic Liquids in Multiphasic Reactions Task Specific Ionic Liquids (TSILs): A New Generation of Soluble Supports for Supported Organic Synthesis (SPOS) Supported Ionic Liquid Phase Catalysts Multiphasic Catalysis Using Ionic Liquids in Combination with Compressed CO2 INORGANIC SYNTHESIS Directed Inorganic and Organometallic Synthesis Making of Inorganic Materials by Electrochemical Methods Ionic Liquids in Material Synthesis: Functional Nanoparticles and Other Inorganic Nanostructures POLYMER SYNTHESIS IN IONIC LIQUIDS BIOCATALYTIC REACTIONS IN IONIC LIQUIDS INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS OF IONIC LIQUIDS CONLUDING REMARKS AND OUTLOOK

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Ionic Liquids in Synthesis

Ionic liquids in catalysis

ATR and transmission IR spectroscopy have been used to investigate the state of water in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) based on the 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cation with the anions: [PF6]−, [SbF6]−, [BF4]−, [ClO4]−, [CF3SO3]−, [(CF3SO2)2N]−, [NO3]− and [CF3CO2]−. It has been shown that in these RTILs water molecules absorbed from the air are present mostly in the “free”
(not self-associated) state, bound via H-bonding with [PF6]−, [BF4]−, [SbF6]−, [ClO4]−, [CF3SO3]−, [(CF3SO2)2N]− with the concentrations of dissolved water in the range 0.2–1.0 mol dm−3. It has been concluded that most of the water molecules at these concentrations exist in symmetric 1 : 2 type H-bonded complexes: anion...HOH...anion. Additional evidence that the preferred sites of interaction with water molecules are the anions has been obtained from the experiments with RTILs of the 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium and 1-butyl-2,3,4,5-tetramethylimidazolium cations. Water molecules can also form associated liquid-like formations in RTILs with anions of stronger basicity such as [NO3]− and [CF3CO2]−. When these RTILs are exposed to air the water concentrations exceed 1.0 mol dm−3. The strength of H-bonding between water molecules and anions increases in the order [PF6]− < [SbF6]− < [BF4]− < [(CF3SO2)2N]− < [ClO4]− < [CF3SO3]− < [NO3]− < [CF3CO2]−. The energies of this H-bonding were estimated from spectral shifts, with the resulting enthalpies being in the range 8–13 kJ mol−1. ATR-IR spectroscopy has also been used to study H-bonding between methanol and RTILs.

/pdf/molecular-states-of-water-in-room-temperature-ionic-liquids-357ietkoie.pdf

Molecular states of water in room temperature ionic liquids

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticlePDF/2013/GC/C2GC36364J

Tom Welton

Papers

Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids. Solvents for Synthesis and Catalysis

Ionic Liquids in Synthesis

Ionic liquids in catalysis

Molecular states of water in room temperature ionic liquids

Deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass with ionic liquids