Microscopic Structure of Neat Linear Alkylamine Liquids: An X-Ray Scattering and Computer Simulation Study

Linear amines, from propylamine to nonylamine, are studied under ambient conditions by X-ray scattering and molecular dynamics simulations of various force field models. The major finding is that the prepeak in alkylamines is about 1 order of magnitude weaker than that in alkanols, hence suggesting much weaker hydrogen bonding-induced clustering of the amine groups than for the hydroxyl groups. Computer simulation studies reveal that the OPLS-UA model reproduces the prepeak, but with larger amplitudes, while the GROMOS-UA and CHARMM-AA force fields show almost no prepeak. Simulations of all models show the existence of hydrogen-bonded clusters, equally confirmed by the prominent prepeak of the structure factor between the nitrogen atoms. The hydrogen bond strength, as modeled by the Coulomb association in classical force field models, is about the same order of magnitude for both systems. Then, one may ask what is the origin of the weaker prepeak in alkylamines? Simulation data reveal that the existence of the prepeak is controlled through the cancellation of the positive contributions from the charged group correlations by the negative contributions from the cross charged-uncharged correlations. The C_2v symmetry of the amine headgroup hinders clustering, which favors cross correlations with the tail atoms. This is opposite to alkanols where the symmetry of the hydroxyl headgroup favors clustering and hinders cross correlations with the alkyl tail. This competition between charged and uncharged atomic groups appears as a general mechanism to explain the existence of scattering prepeaks, including their position and amplitude.