First-principles molecular dynamics simulations of NH4(+) and CH3COO(-) adsorption at the aqueous quartz interface

The ability to exert molecular-level control at the aqueous interface between biomolecules and inorganic substrates is pivotal to advancing applications ranging from sustainable manufacturing to targeted therapeutics. Progress is hindered by a lack of structural information of these interfaces with atomic resolution. Molecular simulation is one approach to obtain such data, but can be limited by the reliability of the force-field used. First-principles simulations, in principle, can provide insights into such aqueous interfaces, but are resource-intensive, limiting previous first-principles studies to approximate the environment of liquid water. Here, we use Car-Parrinello simulations to investigate adsorption of two charged adsorbates that are functional groups common to all amino-acids--ethanoate and ammonium--at the interface between hydroxylated quartz and liquid water, directly incorporating full solvation effects at the interface. Our findings reveal the stable character of carboxylate-quartz binding, as well as the surprisingly indifferent nature of ammonium-quartz interactions, in liquid water.