Dielectric and transport properties of acetonitrile at varying temperatures: A molecular dynamics study

Abstract

Use of acetonitrile in electrolytes promotes better operation of supercapacitors. Recent efforts show that electrolytes containing acetonitrile can also function in a wide range of operating temperatures. Therefore, this paper addresses the dielectric relaxation processes, structure and dynamic properties of the bulk acetonitrile at various temperatures. Systems of acetonitrile were modeled using canonical ensemble and simulated by employing Molecular Dynamics method. Results show that interactions among the molecules were correlated within a cut-off radius while parallel and anti-parallel arrangements are observed beyond this radius at relatively high and low temperatures respectively. Furthermore, effects of C-C-N and C-H bending modes were greatly appreciated on the power spectral density of time rate change of dipole-dipole correlations whereas frequency shifts were observed on all modes at the lowest temperature under consideration. Linear variations with temperature were depicted for reorientation times and self-diffusion coefficients. Shear viscosity was also computed with a good accuracy within a certain range of the temperature as well.