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The quantum chemical COSMO-RS method was applied to describe supported ionic liquid membranes (SILMs) with an enhanced capacity of selective separation of CO2 from N2, in order to contribute to the design of CO2 postcombustion capture technologies based on ionic liquid (IL) solvents. First, the predictive capability of the COSMO-RS method was evaluated through a comparison with a wide range of selectivity experimental data, and a further optimization based on the Henry’s Law constant of each solute in ILs was developed to improve the prediction of CO2/N2 selectivity in SILMs. Afterward, the optimized COSMO-RS approach was applied to design suitable SILM systems for CO2/N2 separation by driving a computational screening of 224 ILs, with results illustrating the capability of [SCN−]-based ILs to enhance the selective separation of CO2 from N2. Finally, to better understand SILM behavior in CO2 separation, the CO2/N2 selectivity differences among ILs were successfully related to the excess enthalpy of CO2−IL and N2−IL mixtures in solution predicted by COSMO-RS. In addition, the intermolecular interactions (electrostatic, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals) between CO2−IL and N2−IL systems in the liquid phase, quantified by COSMO-RS, were analyzed in order to contribute to the rational selection of SILMs with positive characteristics for CO2/N2 selective separation.

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The use of ionic liquid mixtures (IL-IL mixtures) is being investigated for fine solvent properties tuning of the IL-based systems. The scarce available studies, however, evidence a wide variety of mixing behaviors (from almost ideal to strongly nonideal), depending on both the structure of the IL components and the property considered. In fact, the adequate selection of the cations and anions involved in IL-IL mixtures may ensure the absence or presence of two immiscible liquid phases. In this work, a systematic computational study of the mixing behavior of IL-IL systems is developed by means of COSMO-RS methodology. Liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) and excess enthalpy (H(E)) data of more than 200 binary IL-IL mixtures (including imidazolium-, pyridinium-, pyrrolidinium-, ammonium-, and phosphonium-based ILs) are calculated at different temperatures, comparing to literature data when available. The role of the interactions between unlike cations and anions on the mutual miscibility/immiscibility of IL-IL mixtures was analyzed. On the basis of proposed guidelines, a new class of immiscible IL-IL mixtures was reported, which only is formed by imidazolium-based compounds.

A global potential energy surface is obtained for the ground state of the endoergic Au((2)S)+H(2)(X (1)Sigma(g) (+))-->AuH((1)Sigma(+))+H((2)S) reaction. The global potential is obtained by fitting highly correlated ab initio calculations on the system, using relativistic pseudopotential for the gold atom. Several electronic states are calculated correlating with Au((2)S)+H(2), Au((2)D)+H(2), and H(2), Au((2)P)+H(2) asymptotes. These states show several conical intersections and curve crossings along the minimum energy reaction path which are analyzed in detail. One of them gives rise to an insertion well in which there are important contributions from the Au((2)D) and Au((2)P) states of gold, which is interesting because it is analog to the deep chemisorption well appearing in larger gold clusters. Quantum wave packet and quasiclassical trajectory dynamical calculations performed for the reaction at zero total angular momentum are in good agreement, provided that a Gaussian binning method is used to account for the zero-point energy of products. Finally, integral and differential cross sections are calculated for the reaction with quasiclassical trajectories. Two different reaction mechanisms are found, one direct and the second indirect, in which the Au atom inserts in between the two hydrogen atoms because of the existence of the insertion well discussed above.

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A density functional theory (DFT) analysis has been conducted for the gas-phase hydrodechlorination (HDC) of dichloromethane (DCM) with palladium catalyst to achieve a better knowledge of the reaction mechanism involved in the HDC process, which constitutes an emerging technology for the treatment of organochlorinated contaminants. The computational study included the effect of size, oxidation state, and spin configuration of Pd cluster on the adsorption of H2 and DCM reactants on the catalyst surface. Calculations described the activation of H2 by Pd clusters through a dissociative adsorption with low enthalpy values. In addition, partially and fully dissociated DCM intermediates on Pd surface were predicted by DFT calculations. Remarkably, the dissociative adsorption of DCM on Pd active sites occurs via the scission of C–Cl bonds, promoted by the formation of C–Pd linkages, implying high adsorption enthalpy. The computational results showed that DCM can be also molecularly adsorbed on both zerovalent and electrodeficient Pd species. However, the nondissociative adsorption of DCM over electrodeficient Pd cluster is remarkably favored in energy, with adsorption enthalpies (∼−50 kcal/mol) corresponding to chemisorption. Current theoretical evidence explained the deactivation of Pd/AC catalyst as a consequence of the selective poisoning of electrodeficient Pd active centers by chlorinated hydrocarbons, in good agreement with our previous experimental findings.

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