Molecular modeling of hydrotalcite structure intercalated with transition metal oxide anions: CrO4(2-) and VO4(3-)

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to study the interlayer structure, hydrogen bonding, and energetics of hydration of Mg/Al (2:1 and 4:1) layered double hydroxide (LDH) or hydrotalcite (HT) intercalated with oxymetal anions, CrO(4)(2-), and VO(4)(3-). The ab initio forcefield COMPASS is employed for the simulations. The charge on the oxymetal anions is determined by quantum mechanical density functional theory. The structural behavior of the oxymetal anions in LDH directly relates to the energetic relationships, with electrostatic and H-bonding interactions between the anions, hydroxide sites of the metal hydroxide layers, and the interlayer water molecules. Distinct minima in the hydration energy indicate the presence of energetically well-defined structural states with specific water content. The experimentally identified variability in the retention of the CrO(4)(2-) and VO(4)(3-) is well reflected in the calculations and self-diffusion coefficients obtained from the simulations give insight into the mobility of the intercalated species.